Government Activates Emergency Plan

The measure is intended to strengthen medical coordination, deploy additional healthcare staff and improve cooperation between hospitals, clinics, nursing homes and primary care providers, he said in a post on X.

It also allows healthcare services to adapt their operations if needed.

Lecornu said the government’s priorities were to support the healthcare system and frontline workers throughout the heatwave, while protecting vulnerable people.

Spate of Drowning Incidents

Sports Minister Marina Ferrari also told broadcaster France Inter earlier that about 20 people had died by drowning since the weekend began.

Meanwhile, 28 departments have been placed at high risk of wildfires, with the number set to rise to 34 on Wednesday, the broadcaster BFMTV reported.

A wildfire that has been burning for several days in the southern department of Aveyron has threatened hundreds of hectares of vegetation, regional newspaper Midi Libre reported.

The fire, located in steep terrain near the commune of Nant, reignited on Tuesday morning, with around 80 firefighters deployed to contain the blaze, the report said.

Record-Breaking Temperatures

France has recorded its hottest night since 1947, with the national thermal indicator for minimum temperatures reaching 21.6°C.

The country’s average temperature also set a new monthly record on Monday at 29.2°C, according to national weather service Meteo-France.

For Tuesday, 54 departments have been placed under red heat alerts and 35 under orange alerts, with temperatures expected to reach 40°C.

Several other European countries are also bracing for high temperatures.

The UK Met Office has issued a red extreme heat warning for Wednesday and Thursday, with forecasts indicating that June’s all-time daily temperature record could be broken.

In Spain, the national weather service Aemet has issued red and orange warnings across most parts of the country, where temperatures are expected to reach 44°C.

Several regions in Portugal are also forecast to see temperatures close to 40°C, while Italy has issued red and orange heat alerts for several cities.

Temperatures across Belgium are expected to remain above 30°C on Tuesday and range between 33°C and 39°C towards the end of the week, RTL reported, citing the Royal Meteorological Institute.