Two children found dead in hot car as France swelters through heatwave
A deadly heatwave has claimed the lives of two toddlers after they were found unresponsive inside a family car in France, as temperatures surge to record-breaking levels across Europe.
The children, aged two and four, were discovered in the vehicle near the town of Carpentras in south-eastern France on Monday.
Scientists have repeatedly said that as global temperatures rise, extreme heat events are becoming more frequent, arriving earlier, and lasting longer. Kiran Ridley/Getty Images
Investigators are still working to determine exactly how they died, but extreme heat was a focus of the inquiry.
The tragedy comes as parts of western Europe bake under a blistering early summer heatwave.
Forecasters warn temperatures could skyrocket beyond 40 degrees in several countries and remain dangerously high for days.
French authorities have placed 49 departments on the country’s highest heat alert, urging about 35 million people to exercise “absolute vigilance”, avoid strenuous activity and stay out of direct sunlight.
The heat has already been linked to a number of deaths in France. Three people aged between 80 and 95 died near Bordeaux over the weekend after suffering health complications associated with the extreme temperatures.
Authorities also reported 13 drowning deaths during swimming incidents.
France’s national weather service said western and central parts of the country were likely to exceed 40 degrees, with Bordeaux tipped to reach 43.
Firefighters tackle a blaze in Albergaria a Velha, Portugal during a 2022 heatwave. Octavio Passos/Getty Images
Temperatures of 41 were expected in Limoges, 40 in Toulouse and Tours, and 39 in Paris. Forecasters said the hot conditions were unlikely to ease any time soon.
Night-time temperatures have also remained unusually high, offering little reprieve. Several towns and cities recorded overnight lows of about 25 degrees, setting records for June.
The prolonged heat has disrupted daily life across France, with more than 1300 schools closed and thousands more adjusting timetables so students could leave earlier in the day.
Rail services around Paris have also been affected, with about one in 10 regional trains cancelled amid concerns about tracks and rolling stock.
Spain declared its first official heatwave of the year, with temperatures forecast to hit 44 degrees in some areas.
Further north, in Germany, severe thunderstorms interrupted the final of the Berlin Open tennis tournament, with organisers evacuating spectators as storms swept through the capital after a weekend of temperatures above 30 degrees.
Locals in Zurich, Switzerland beat the heat as daytime temperatures across the city climb well past 30 degrees. AP
The extreme conditions extend well beyond France.
The United Kingdom’s Met Office has issued an extreme heat warning covering much of southern England and parts of Wales through to Thursday.
Temperatures could climb to 39 degrees, well above the typical June levels.
Belgium is also bracing for unprecedented heat, with meteorologists warning this week could bring the highest temperatures ever recorded.
Italy has meanwhile placed 12 cities, including Rome, Milan, Venice, Turin, Bologna and Florence, under red heatwave alerts.
Scientists have repeatedly said that as global temperatures rise, extreme heat events are becoming more frequent, arriving earlier in the year and lasting longer than before.
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