French authorities reported around 20 drownings over the weekend as people swam in unsupervised areas trying to escape a severe heatwave gripping France and other parts of Europe.
Sports Minister Marina Ferrari warned on France Inter radio that swimming in unauthorized areas during hot weather is not a trivial matter. Forecasters said temperatures across much of France would reach around 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
In Carpentras, southeastern France, local authorities said heat was the most likely cause of death for two children aged 2 and 4 found unconscious in a car outside their home. Three more people aged 80 to 95 died in the Bordeaux area from heat-related health issues, local official Sophie Brocas told France TV.
The heatwave smashed temperature records in several cities, including Bordeaux and Poitiers, straining the power grid and public services. France's national weather agency placed 54 areas on red alert for heat, while schools closed early or adjusted timetables to protect students.
In Britain, the Met Office warned Monday that a four-day heatwave could push temperatures above 39°C in some areas, easily breaking the June record of 35.6°C set in 1957 and 1976. Just weeks earlier, the UK recorded its highest May temperature ever.
Spain also suffered extreme heat. San Sebastian, a normally cooler city in the north, was expected to reach 40°C, double its historical average for June 22, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor.
Scientists explain that this extreme heat is driven by an "Omega block" weather pattern, shaped like the Greek letter, which traps a mass of hot air over the continent while cooler air sits on either side. This draws warm air from North Africa, from the Sahara, and produces very light winds, leaving no cooling breeze, according to researcher Clair Barnes at Imperial College London.
