Tragic new details have emerged about the death of a three-year-old boy who passed away in his family's car during a heatwave that has scorched France. France is once again facing searing conditions today having endured its hottest ever 24-hour period on Wednesday. Yesterday, temperatures climbed past 44C in Pissos in the country's south-west. The boy died on Wednesday evening when his parents and firefighters failed to resuscitate him in the town of Saint-Gratien, public prosecutor Guirec Le Bras said.The mother was having a nap with the couple's second child, an 18-month-old, while the father was working in a shed in the garden, he said, citing initial findings.The father told his son to have a nap, but the child escaped his parents' supervision for at least 45 minutes and climbed into the car, where the child lock was activated.'He then apparently shut himself in and became trapped in the vehicle before being found unconscious by his parents,' Le Bras said.The boy's mother was heard screaming in horror for several minutes, neighbours told Le Parisien. One said: 'The mother screamed. It lasted about ten minutes. It was horrible.' Europe has been scorched by the heat this week (Pictured: A man cools off in a fountain during the continent-wide heatwave)Pedestrians cool off under a mist sprayer installed by Paris City Hall on the 45th edition of the Fete de la Musique and during a heatwave on June 21, 2026