France heatwave leaves 13 drowned, schools close, alerts spread across Europe

France’s heatwave turned deadly at the water’s edge as 13 swimmers drowned while trying to escape the rising temperatures, a grim sign that extreme heat is now reshaping public safety far beyond homes and hospitals. Three elderly people also died as the country endured searing conditions, and thousands of schools closed or shifted timetables as families tried to cope with the escalating danger.

The pressure mounted across France as about a third of the country came under a red heat alert, with temperatures reaching 40C, or 104F, in some areas. Authorities put emergency services and military forces on wildfire alert, restricted public alcohol consumption in some places and canceled outdoor sports events as the heat settled in. Trains, concerts and sports events were also canceled, a reminder that the disruption was spreading through daily life, not just emergency rooms.

The risks were especially stark in southeast France, where two children were found dead in a car on Monday as the country faced the hottest day of a brutal heatwave expected to last until the end of the week. The French government issued its highest heat warning across half the country for the first time, underscoring how quickly the emergency had moved from uncomfortable to catastrophic.

The heatwave was not confined to France. Warnings spread across western Europe, including Britain, Spain, Germany and Italy, as forecasters warned that temperatures could keep climbing in the days ahead. Britain’s Met Office issued a Red Extreme Heat Warning for Wednesday and Thursday, saying June’s all-time daily temperature record was forecast to be broken.

Spain also moved to cut back public gatherings, canceling a soccer fan zone in Madrid as the forecast worsened. The broader pattern is familiar to emergency planners across the continent: heat is no longer only a matter of shade, hydration and shelter. It is also a public-safety problem that sends people toward rivers, lakes and beaches in search of relief, where the danger can turn lethal in minutes.