Western Europe continues to swelter under its third heatwave of the year, as blistering temperatures show no sign of falling until the weekend.
On Monday (22 June) France placed more than half of its 96 mainland departments under red alert, urging citizens to exercise “absolute vigilance” and stay out of the direct sun during the hot spell.
It comes as huge swathes of the country grapple with temperatures exceeding 40℃ as well as a string of tropical nights – where the temperature never falls below 20℃ during a 24-hour period.
Two children, aged four and two, were found dead in their family’s car in south-eastern France on Monday, with officials confirming that intense heat is the “leading line of inquiry”. The tragic deaths follow those of three elderly people who died near Bordeaux over the weekend due to health problems caused by extreme temperatures.
Across the channel, the UK Met Office has issued a red extreme heat warning for today and tomorrow across parts of central and southern England, as well as Wales. Temperatures are expected to rise to 39℃ in the coming days, while overnight temperatures will also be “very high”.
