At least three people have died in France as a heat wave sweeping western and central Europe drove temperatures past 40 degrees Celsius in several countries and forced hundreds of schools to shut, according to Reuters. Local government official Sophie Brocas told Reuters that those who died were between 80 and 95 years of age, and that all three cases occurred in the Bordeaux region.
According to BBC News, forecaster Météo-France issued its top-tier red heat alert across more than half of France's administrative regions, and projected that Bordeaux would see a high of 42 C (107.6 F). Météo-France characterized the heat event with the phrase "widespread, long-lasting and intense," and said relief from the heat was not on the horizon until week's end. According to The Associated Press, Paris set a new June record for its warmest overnight low, with the mercury holding at 24.2 C (75.5 F) — a half-degree above the mark set in 2017.
The French education ministry reported that 845 schools closed entirely, while an additional 1,800 permitted pupils to finish the day ahead of schedule, according to BBC News. French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist called on residents to monitor vulnerable neighbors and relatives. Following 13 drownings over the weekend, French authorities urged the public to stay out of lakes, rivers, and other unsupervised bodies of water, according to BBC News.
Spain's national weather service Aemet put the Basque country under a red alert, with San Sebastian — a city in the country's typically cooler northern reaches — projected to hit 40 C, a figure approaching double its normal high for late June, according to Reuters. In the southwestern province of Almeria, nighttime temperatures remained at or above 25 C, offering little respite from the daytime heat, Aemet said. According to Reuters, Spain's Labor Ministry announced it was keeping watch on whether employers were honoring regulations that entitle workers to reduce or shift their schedules when orange or red weather alerts are in effect.
Germany and Switzerland activated red warnings on Monday, with Luxembourg set to follow on Tuesday, according to BBC News. For portions of England and Wales, the U.K. Met Office took the unusual step of issuing a red heat warning, with forecasts pointing to possible highs of 38 C (100 F). According to The Associated Press, data from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service show that Europe has been warming faster than any other continent — at roughly double the global average pace dating back to the 1980s.
More on this story: Heat wave warnings issued across Western Europe as temperatures near 40C
Update, June 23, 2026: The death toll from heat-related incidents has grown, with five people dying in fatal swimming accidents in Italy and Germany, and at least 40 people drowning in Spain. These figures are in addition to the three deaths and 13 drownings previously reported in France.
Update, June 23, 2026: At least 40 people have drowned in France over the past five days amid the heat wave, up from the 13 drownings previously reported. Most victims were teenagers swimming in unsupervised areas.