Power Outages Hit 68,000 Homes in Western France During Heatwave

About 68,000 homes in Brittany were without power on 24 June 2026 as France endured peak temperatures during a record heatwave, BBC News reported. Electricity was unlikely to be restored until Wednesday night at the earliest. More than half of France remained under red heat alerts, with a possible high of 43C in the southwest, according to Météo France.

The country recorded its hottest day since records began on 23 June with an average temperature of 29.8C, and its hottest night from 22 June into 23 June at 29.9C. Red alerts were extended to four additional regions on 24 June, bringing the total to 58, while 31 regions were under orange alerts.

Highs of 39-40C were forecast across much of western France from Paris to Brittany through the weekend.

At least 40 people have drowned in heatwave-related incidents in France since 18 June, the prime minister said. A six-year-old child drowned at an unsupervised beach in Bègles on 23 June, and a 17-year-old girl drowned in a prohibited area of the Marne river near Paris the same day. The Louvre and Eiffel Tower closed earlier than usual during the week due to the heat.

In the Maine-et-Loire region, more than 150 firefighters contained a forest fire overnight with no injuries reported. Similar conditions affected neighboring countries. A rare red heat alert was in place for parts of the UK with possible temperatures of 38C on 25 June.

Orange alerts covered parts of the Netherlands and most of Belgium, while Germany expected 37C on 24 June and up to 40C over the following weekend. Sixteen provincial capitals in Italy were under red alerts, with Latina added on 24 June and Bari scheduled for 25 June.