Overview
- Météo‑France confirmed Tuesday that the national average temperature reached a record high near 29.8°C, marking the hottest June average in its records.
- French officials say at least 40 people drowned while trying to cool off since June 18, and two young children were found dead in a family car in Carpentras on June 22 as prosecutors focus the probe on heat.
- Authorities have placed 54–58 departments on the highest red heat alert, closed or shortened hours at landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, and opened climate shelters to protect vulnerable people.
- The Golfech nuclear plant stopped or restricted a reactor because river temperatures risked exceeding environmental limits used for reactor cooling, forcing temporary cuts to electricity output.
- Meteorologists attribute the prolonged heat to an Omega‑block pressure pattern and the WMO and experts warn that Europe is warming faster than the global average, raising the odds of more frequent, intense heat events.