Europeans told to protect themselves as deadly heatwave takes its toll

June 25, 2026

The city mayor told busy Parisians to slow down on Thursday as large parts of Western Europe remained in the grip of a deadly heatwave that has claimed dozens of lives, disrupted power supplies, and shut schools and cultural landmarks.

Paris faced another sweltering day after temperatures in the French capital hit a June record of 40.9 degrees Celsius (105.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Wednesday.

Britain also logged its highest temperature for June on Wednesday, reaching 36.1C in southern England as an early summer heat dome hovered over much of Western Europe.

France implemented a number of measures against heatwaves after one in 2003 caused nearly 15,000 excess deaths, with the elderly the hardest hit. This time around, younger people were a particular concern.