Western Europe Heatwave Breaks Records at 44C
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- France placed 49 of 96 mainland departments on red alert, urging 35 million people to exercise "absolute vigilance" as Météo-France forecast 43C in Bordeaux, 41C in Limoges, 40C in Toulouse and Tours, and 39C in Paris.
- Météo-France said France's national heat index is expected to hit its highest level on record on Monday or Tuesday, with overnight minimum temperatures already setting all-time highs in several cities.
- Gironde officials linked the deaths of three people aged 80-95 on Sunday partly to the heat, while emergency services reported 10 drownings including a 13-year-old boy.
- France shut more than 800 schools and rescheduled 1,800 more, while 1 in 10 regional trains around Paris were cancelled amid fears for rolling stock and tracks.
- Spain declared its first official heatwave of the year, with state forecaster Aemet predicting 44C in some areas; a public World Cup screening in Madrid was cancelled.
- Belgium's IRM said temperatures would be "the hottest ever recorded," with rush-hour trains cancelled; the UK Met Office issued an extreme-heat warning for southern England and parts of Wales, predicting 38C versus the current June record of 35.6C set in 1976.
Why it matters: With 35 million people under red-alert conditions in France alone and temperatures forecast to reach 44C in Spain, this heatwave is forcing widespread school closures, train cancellations, and the abandonment of major public events across Western Europe. France's national heat index hit an all-time high, and the UK's predicted 38C would break a June record that has stood since 1976.
