18 dead in France as record heatwave grips Europe

3 min readUpdated: Jun 23, 2026 10:15 AM IST

People swim at a lido in London, as a heatwave is forecast to develop in the coming days, Friday, June 19, 2026. (AP Photo)

At least 18 people, including two children, have died in France as a heatwave over Europe pushed temperatures to record highs in several cities on Monday.

The temperature in Bordeaux soared to 41.9 degrees Celsius (107.4 degrees Fahrenheit), breaking last August’s record while Poitiers saw its temperature reaching 41.2 degrees Celcius, moving beyond a previous high set in 1947.

As schools in France remained shut or ran with modified timetables, weather forecasters in Britain predicted the temperatures could beat records for June this week.

How 18 people died amid heatwave conditions in France

Two children, aged 2 and 4 years, died in their family car, which had turned extremely hot under the heatwave conditions in southeast France. The first responders could not revive them after they were found unconscious in the vehicle.

Three senior people, aged between 80 and 95, died over the weekend ⁠in the Bordeaux region after suffering from health issues triggered by the heatwave, a French government official told France TV late.

Meanwhile, 13 more people were reported to have drowned from Sunday to Monday as they attempted to take a swim to cool off. Following this, the French Civil Safety service advised people to swim only at places that are under supervision. Drowning deaths increased by 172% during the summer in France last year.

What is Omega block?

The heatwave that large parts of Europe are reeling under is known as an Omega block because it takes the shape of the Greek letter: a bulge of hot air in the middle and comparatively cooler air on both sides of the bulge, said Clair Barnes, a weather and climate research associate at Imperial College in London.

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“It’s drawing warm air up from North Africa, from the Sahara, and that’s why we have this really intense heat. It’s very slow-moving, and it means there’s kind of no wind, no breeze for respite,” she added.

What’s happening in Britain, Spain, and Italy?

Britain’s national weather forecaster, the Met Office, has said that a heatwave continuing for four days could get the temperatures soaring above ⁠39 degrees Celsius at some places. This will lead to the UK breaking ‌its June record of 35.6 degrees  Celsius set in 1957 and 1976. Britain had recently beaten ​its high-temperature record for May.

In Spain’s San Sebastian, which represents the country’s traditionally cooler north, the temperature was set to reach 40 ⁠degrees Celsius — over double the city’s historic average for June 22, Reuters Climate Monitor showed.

Meanwhile, Italy issued red alerts for a heatwave in 12 cities on Monday. The electricity grid was strained in Turin, triggering sporadic power cuts in the area. Doubling workers’ shift, Utility Iren added generators to address the ordeal, Reuters reported.

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