At least 40 people have drowned in France over the last five days amid a severe heat wave, according to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Speaking at an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday, he called the drownings a ‘tragic scourge.’
Most victims were young, with many teenagers swimming in unsupervised areas. Marina Ferrari, a government minister responsible for youth issues, addressed the dangers on French radio. She warned against swimming in unsupervised bodies of water, such as lakes or canals, especially during extreme heat.
France is experiencing an intense heat wave affecting much of Europe, which began last week. Forecasters predict temperatures in Paris could reach 40 degrees Celsius this week, nearing record levels. Central France could see highs of 43 degrees Celsius, approximately 109 degrees Fahrenheit.
Over half the country is under a red alert for severe heat wave conditions. Météo-France expects ‘exceptionally high temperatures, both day and night,’ with significant health risks. Lecornu commented that local and national temperature records are being broken daily.
The current European heat wave is due to a ‘heat dome,’ a high-pressure area trapping heat over a region. These systems block or redirect weather fronts, resulting in fewer clouds and little rainfall.
This is France’s second heat wave in about a month, following record temperatures in May. The extreme heat has also led to other fatalities. French news station BFMTV reported two children, aged 2 and 4, died after being left in a car on Monday.
Additional reporting from Paris by Aurelien Breeden and coverage of breaking news from London by Claire Moses.
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