Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleForty people have drowned in France since 18 June, many of them young, as they sought to cool down during a severe heatwave. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed the death toll ahead of an emergency meeting, noting the 'sad scourge' of drownings. Much of France is experiencing temperatures around 40C, with some western areas expecting up to 43C, leading to 54 departments being under red alert. The country has recorded its hottest afternoon and night since 1947, with authorities warning against swimming in unauthorised or dangerous areas. Other European nations, including Britain, Italy, and Spain, are also enduring extreme heat, with Europe warming at more than twice the global average. In fullAt least 40 people drown in France as 43C heatwave sweeps across countryThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Thirteen people died by drowning in searing temperatures in France over the weekend, with the heatwave set to intensify from Monday across much of Europe, forcing warnings and…

Europe faces record-breaking heatwave as temperatures soar past 40C, forcing school closures, travel disruption and urgent health warnings across the continent.

Europe News: Paris/Madrid/London: Three elderly people died as extreme temperatures hit France, and 13 swimmers were reported drowned as they tried to escape a hea.

Around 20 people have drowned in France since the weekend as soaring temperatures drove many to rivers, lakes and other unsupervised swimming spots, authorities said on Tuesday.…

Europe is grappling with a severe heatwave, claiming 40 lives in France alone as people sought relief in water bodies. Record temperatures are scorching Britain, Italy,…