French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has said that 40 people have drowned in heatwave-related deaths in France since Thursday, June 18, as temperatures hit record levels in several major cities.
France, Spain, and Italy have been hardest hit by the heatwave so far, with France recording its hottest June day on Tuesday, reaching an average of 29.8°C.
France’s Sports and Youth Minister Marina Ferrari said: “It’s not something to be taken lightly, going swimming in unsupervised areas during a heatwave.”
Most of France, including Paris and Nantes, is shaded dark red for “exceptionally high heat”, while Eastern regions around Lyon are orange for “very high heat,” with parts of the far south and Mediterranean coast near Marseille are yellow for “high heat.”
The report says temperatures are set to peak above 40°C in some areas, with red alerts in Andalusia in the south and Cantabria and the Basque Country in the north, on the third day of a national heatwave.
In Italy, a red heatwave alert has been declared in 15 cities, including Rome, Milan, Florence, Turin, and Venice. The alert signals conditions that can pose health risks even to healthy adults, not just the elderly or chronically ill.
