ReutersA heatwave gripping western Europe has led to a series of unprecedented temperature highs, with France experiencing its hottest day ever, the UK seeing record heat for June and Spain reaching its highest daily average since 1950.
Tens of millions of people are grappling with punishing temperatures, which hit almost 41C in Paris and have led to red heat alerts across swathes of the continent.
France’s national temperature indicator – an average of day and night temperatures across dozens of locations – hit 30C on Wednesday, the hottest day since records began in 1947.
More than half the country remains under a red heat alert, with tens of thousands of homes in the west without power.
Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world – but particularly in Europe. It is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service.
This is causing increased summer heatwaves, greater pressure on Europe’s water supply, and more intense wildfires.
Météo-France recorded provisional maximum temperatures across France that “remained relatively stable compared to the previous day”.
Highs ranged from 39C to 43C across much of western France, with with 43C recorded in the Poitou-Charentes-Val de Loire region, slightly lower than the 44.3C seen in Pissos on Tuesday.
The intense heat saw two of Paris’s landmarks – the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower – close earlier than usual.
A spokesperson for the Louvre said the building was “not sufficiently adapted to climate change”.
At least 40 people drowned in heatwave-related incidents in France since Thursday, including a six-year-old at a beach in Bègles, Gironde.
Authorities have also warned the risk of forest fires is higher during intense heat.
In the Maine-et-Loire region, more than 150 firefighters were deployed on Tuesday to fight a major fire in the Breignon forest in Saint-Macaire-du-Bois. It was brought under control overnight, officials said.
Labour minister Jean-Pierre Farandou said France is “in the process of finding out we’ve become a hot country” and warned society may need to adapt.
Some relief from the heat is expected from Friday, with temperatures expected to gradually drop.
The heatwave spread to other parts of western Europe on Wednesday, with a rare red heat alert extended in parts of the UK.
The UK saw its hottest June day on record in Gosport, Hampshire, on Wednesday afternoon after temperatures soared to 36.1C (97F). Temperatures could hit 38C on Thursday, forecasters say.
Spain also experienced baking heat over the last few days, with its weather agency reporting that the daily average temperature on Monday was 28.08C and 28.17C on Tuesday – the highest ever recorded for June.
Red heat alerts remain in place for parts of northern Spain, with a maximum temperature of 42C possible in parts of the Basque country, forecaster Aemet said.
In Italy, there are 16 red alerts in place, mostly northern and central parts of the country.
Temperatures are expected to peak in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium nearer the weekend.
The heatwave will also extend to eastern Europe over the next few days, with severe heat warnings issued for countries including Poland, Croatia and Hungary for later in the week.
Germany has also reported several drownings, including a 26-year-old man who died after going into the Danube River near Regensburg in Bavaria on Tuesday evening.
There are also fears of drought in some regions. In Brandenburg, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, authorities are urging people to use water sparingly, German newspaper Die Welt reports.
Barbecue bans have also been introduced in cities including Stuttgart and Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg, local media report.
The Dutch weather service, the KNMI, has issued a Code Orange weather alert, which refers to a “high chance of dangerous weather” in southern and central areas of the Netherlands from Wednesday until at least Friday.
KNMI said maximum temperatures of 37C were expected, while Friday could see the mercury hit 39C.
Most of Belgium is under an orange alert, with highs of 37C expected over the next few days.
