Deadly heatwave sweeps Europe: France records dozens of drownings amid extreme heat

Several other European countries, including Spain and Italy, have also been affected by extreme heat and rising temperatures.

“It’s not something to be taken lightly, going swimming in unsupervised areas during a heatwave,” Sports and Youth Minister Marina Ferrari told French radio, as quoted by the BBC.

According to reports, France recorded its hottest day on record on Tuesday, with an average national temperature of 29.8°C.

Météo-France wrote on X that minimum temperatures continued to rise, reaching 23–28°C overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday in departments under heatwave alerts.

Meanwhile, the Louvre Museum has reduced its operating hours in response to the extreme heat in Paris. From Tuesday until Saturday, it will close two hours early at 4 p.m.

“Due to the extremely high temperatures, we encourage you to adjust the pace of your visit and protect yourself from the heat,” the museum said in a statement quoted by Deutsche Welle (DW).

Similarly, the Eiffel Tower will also close early at 4 p.m., instead of its usual midnight closing time.

“Due to the high temperatures forecast, the Eiffel Tower will be adjusting its operations,” its operator told DW.

Separately, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued an appeal for stronger global action on climate change, warning of escalating risks driven by fossil fuel dependence.

Speaking at London Climate Action Week, Guterres urged artificial intelligence companies to “come clean” on the environmental impact of data centres, including their carbon, water, and land footprints.

He also linked the global dependence on fossil fuels to both the climate crisis and emerging energy security challenges, including shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz amid geopolitical tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.

“These crises may seem separate, but they share the same destructive origin: fossil fuels,” Guterres said. “And they demand the same answer: a fast, fair transition to clean energy and a surge in adaptation, resilience, and climate justice for those already facing climate harm.”

Earth’s tipping points

It has been more than a decade since world leaders agreed in Paris to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Despite the landmark agreement, UN-backed scientists now warn that global temperatures are likely to exceed that threshold in the coming years.

“Every fraction of a degree matters,” Guterres said, warning of irreversible damage to coral reefs, melting ice sheets that could reshape coastlines, and the risk of displacement for millions of people. He also cautioned that some small island nations could face existential threats from rising sea levels.

He added that the task ahead is to “strictly limit the overshoot, shorten its duration, and bring temperatures down below 1.5°C as fast as possible.”