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A deadly heat wave has hit western Europe, killing dozens of people, causing top-level weather warnings in several countries, and putting pressure on infrastructure like nuclear plants and railways.
Scientists say these recurring heat waves are linked to climate change and warn they will likely become more frequent, last longer, and be more intense.
France is one of the hardest-hit countries, with 40 people, many of them young, drowning since June 18 as the heat pushed people to seek relief in lakes and rivers.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed this number during a crisis meeting about the heat wave.
"There is a tragic scourge of drownings. The latest figure reported to us is 40 deaths since June 18, mainly among young people," Lecornu said, adding that ministers had been told to cancel travel plans for the week.
Two children, aged 2 and 4, were also found dead in their family's car in southeastern France on Monday as temperatures soared, according to local prosecutor Helene Mourges.
France recorded its hottest night since measurements began in 1947. The national temperature indicator, which averages readings from 30 stations, reached 21.6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday morning. This broke the previous record of 21.4°C set on July 25, 2019.
The country's average temperature also set a new June record on Monday, reaching 29.2°C and beating the previous high from June 30, 2025, according to provisional data from Meteo France.
About 1,350 schools closed due to extreme heat. Red alerts were extended to 54 of France's 96 mainland departments, affecting around 39 million people.
A reactor at the Golfech nuclear plant near Toulouse in southwestern France was shut down after the cooling water from the Garonne river got too warm.
A plant spokeswoman confirmed that the water had exceeded the 28°C safety limit.
Italy's health ministry issued red heat wave alerts in 15 cities on Tuesday, including Milan and Rome, and expects the number to rise to 16 on Wednesday.
During a red alert, which is the highest level, the ministry advises people to eat light meals, stay indoors during the hottest hours, and use cool water to lower their body temperature.
In Spain, almost the whole country was put under a heat alert. The national weather agency AEMET issued red alerts, which are for 'extraordinary danger,' for areas near Cordoba in the south, Bilbao in the north, and parts of Cantabria.
Germany saw a rise in fatal swimming accidents over the weekend, with five deaths reported by authorities.
Two men, aged 20 and 22, drowned in lakes in Bavaria, and a 79-year-old woman died in the Baltic Sea. Other fatal accidents happened in lakes in Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia.
At Frankfurt airport on Sunday, several passengers suffering from the heat needed emergency treatment after their plane was kept on the tarmac for over an hour before take-off, police said Monday.
Belgium was expected to see its hottest temperatures on record during a heat wave that could last a week, according to David Dehenauw, head of forecasting at the IRM meteorological institute. Some schools shortened classes to half a day in response.
Transport authorities in the greater Paris area warned that the rail network was under heavy strain.
Valerie Pecresse, head of the Ile-de-France region, asked passengers to delay travel if possible, especially those who are vulnerable, and encouraged people to work from home if they can.
"The transport network comes under severe strain in periods of extreme heat... railways cannot withstand temperatures above 50 degrees," Pecresse told journalists.
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