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France Hits Hottest National Temperature Since 1947 as Dozens Drown During Heatwave
France recorded its highest average daytime temperature since 1947 on Tuesday. Severe heat alerts cover parts of the UK, Italy and other nations through the weekend.
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France recorded its highest national temperature indicator since measurements began in 1947, with the average across 30 stations reaching 29.8C on Tuesday. More than 90 percent of the French population faces temperatures of 39C to 41C on Wednesday from Brittany to Paris and across much of the southwest.
A heat-related transformer failure left about 68,000 households without electricity in the northwestern department of Finistere on Wednesday after the incident occurred late Tuesday.
Up to 106,000 clients of the French power network were without service by late Tuesday, and power is not expected to be restored in full until the end of Wednesday at the earliest. Thirty-one French departments remain on orange alert. The UK Met Office issued a rare red heat warning for Wednesday and Thursday, with temperatures expected to hit 40C in parts of the country.
Grahame Madge, a Met Office spokesperson, said the agency is forecasting 39C as a headline maximum temperature on Thursday, most likely in London or the south-east. He added that it is possible temperatures could exceed 39C if final values reach the upper end of the forecast range. Highs could reach 39C in London or southern England before conditions ease by Friday.
Hundreds of British schools planned to close or close early this week because of the heat, and many UK train services were reduced to avoid heat-related problems on the rail lines. Italy’s Ministry of Health declared a red heatwave alert in 16 cities, including Milan and Rome, on Wednesday.
Poland’s weather service issued high-level heat warnings for the western part of the country from Thursday to Saturday.
Croatia’s Adriatic coast was placed under red alert for Friday and Saturday. Hungary raised its heat alert to the maximum level from Saturday to Tuesday. Spain’s State Meteorological Agency stated temperatures would drop in most of the country on Wednesday, with only parts of the Basque country remaining under red alert by Wednesday afternoon.
