An exceptional heatwave sweeping across much of Europe has killed at least 18 people in France, including two young children found unconscious in an overheated car. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
In France, the heat continues to break historical records. In Bordeaux, thermometers rose to 41.9°C, surpassing the previous record set in August last year. In Poitiers, the temperature reached 41.2°C — the highest since records began in 1947.
The extreme heat has also affected Spain. In San Sebastián, traditionally one of the country's coolest cities, temperatures approached 40°C. According to the Reuters Climate Monitor, Europe on Monday became the region with the largest temperature deviation from the climate norm.
According to an April report by the World Meteorological Organization, warming rates in Europe are more than double the global average.
One of the most tragic incidents in recent days was the death of two children aged two and four in southeastern France.
According to the prosecutor's office in Carpentras, the mother found the children unconscious in the family car near their home. Rescuers who arrived at the scene were unable to revive them.
Additionally, in the Bordeaux region, three elderly people aged 80 to 95 died from heat-related causes over the weekend.
High temperatures have led to an increase in water-related incidents. From Sunday to Monday alone, 13 drownings were recorded in France.
"Only swim in supervised areas," urged Jérôme Boulanger, a representative of the French civil security service.
According to French authorities, during last year's heatwave, the number of drowning deaths increased by 172%, as many people sought relief from the heat in unsupervised swimming spots.
Clare Barnes, a researcher at Imperial College London, explained that the current weather anomaly is linked to a so-called "omega block" — a stable atmospheric system shaped like the Greek letter omega.
According to her, hot air from the Sahara flows into Europe and barely moves.
"Warm air rises from North Africa, from the Sahara, and that's why we have such intense heat. It moves very slowly, meaning there is no wind, no breeze to provide relief," Barnes explained.
The expert noted that climate change makes heatwaves more intense and prolonged, and also contributes to an increase in extreme weather events.
The UK Met Office warned that temperatures could exceed 39°C in the coming days, setting a new June record. The previous maximum for the first summer month was 35.6°C, set in 1976.
In France, temperatures in Paris are expected to reach 38.4°C — which could become a new record for June.
In Italy, a red weather alert has been declared in 12 cities. In Turin, energy companies are reinforcing shifts and activating additional generators due to power grid overloads caused by widespread use of air conditioners.