Europe suffers under record heatwave as temperatures forecast to reach 44C

Western Europe is enduring a ferocious heatwave forecast to break temperature records, with half of France on red alert, rail services in Belgium disrupted and sports events in Spain and Germany cancelled or postponed.

French authorities on Monday placed 49 of the country’s 96 mainland departments on a level 1 danger-to-life warning, urging 35 million people to exercise “absolute vigilance”, drink water often, avoid all strenuous exertion and avoid direct sun.

Another 40 departments were on a level 2 orange alert. *“*Very high temperatures are setting in for the long term across the country,” the national meteorological service, Météo-France, said. “Day and night-time temperatures will be exceptional.”

It said temperatures throughout western and central France were likely to exceed 40C from Monday afternoon, hitting 43C in Bordeaux, 41C in Limoges, 40C in Toulouse and Tours and 39C in Paris, and would continue rising until the end of the week.

Pedestrians cool off under a mist sprayer installed by Paris city hall at the Fête de la Musique on Sunday. Photograph: Guillaume Baptiste/AFP/Getty Images

Night-time lows are also forecast to be far higher than normal for the season until at least Friday, Météo-France said, with the minimum temperatures recorded in several towns and cities overnight on Sunday already setting all-time records.

France’s national heat index, an average of the day and night-time highs measured at 30 weather stations around the country, is expected to hit its highest ever level on Monday or Tuesday, the forecaster said.

“Many people are going to suffer, because bodies suffer from an accumulation of high temperatures,” said Stéphanie Rist, France’s health minister, visiting a Paris hospital on Monday. She urged people to check on elderly and vulnerable neighbours.

In the south-west Gironde region, local officials said the deaths on Sunday of three people, aged between 80 and 95, were in part due to the intense heat. Emergency services said 10 people, including a 13-year-old boy, drowned in swimming accidents.

France went ahead with its annual street music festival, the Fête de la Musique, on Sunday, although some local authorities called it off altogether and others ran only evening events. Alcohol restrictions were imposed in many areas.