FILE - A woman holds a water bottle by a swimming pool in the village of Clonas-sur-Vareze, France, on June 23, 2026. (Photo by Romain Doucelin/NurPhoto via Getty Images) (Photo by Romain Doucelin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A record-breaking heatwave that is sweeping across Europe has killed 40 people in France so far.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the 40 fatalities were from drowning in the past week as people sought relief in rivers and other bodies of water.
Dig deeper:
France’s temperature hit 85.6 degrees F (29.8 C).
The previous hottest days on record in France were in August 2003 and July 2019 where average temperatures reached 84.9 F.
Local perspective:
The extreme conditions have even forced the Eiffel Tower to adjust its operating hours on Tuesday as temperatures spiked.
The Louvre Museum announced it will close its doors early until Saturday due to the heat wave and to ensure optimal visiting conditions.
On Saturday, the Prime Minister’s office directed officials to prohibit alcohol consumption in all public spaces that are under a red heatwave alert. The order also includes Sunday’s annual Fete de la Musique festival if the concert venue will be under a red alert that afternoon.
Why you should care:
Human-caused climate change is tied to increasingly extreme weather, and the U.N. climate agency projections say the next five years are likely to shatter more heat records.
Big picture view:
Many major cities across Europe sit in the high 90s and triple digits — topping 100 F (38 C) — schools have been closed alongside widespread train cancellations, with officials issuing urgent safety warnings as extreme conditions turn deadly.
London has been issued a rare 'red warning' as severe heat alerts expand across France, Italy and Spain.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from reporting by The Associated Press and FOX Weather. Previous reporting by FOX Local also contributed to this report. This story was reported from San Jose.