A young man jumps from a bridge to cool off in the Canal Saint-Martin, in Paris, France, Saturday. An intense heatwave is gripping Western and Central Europe, breaking records around the continent. Photo by Yoan Valat/EPA
June 24 (UPI) -- Massive power outages have put extra strain on France during a record-breaking heat wave that's gripping much of Europe.
Tens of thousands of homes in the western part of France are without power, and temperatures are expected to peak Wednesday.
In Brittany, about 68,000 homes have lost power, and the electricity isn't likely to be back until at least Wednesday night, authorities said.
More than half of France is under a red "threat to life" heat alert. In the southwestern part of the country, a high of 109 degrees Fahrenheit is expected.
