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Seven deaths in France linked to record-high temperatures
TL;DR
Seven deaths in France have been linked to extreme heat as temperatures soar to record highs. The hottest May day on record was reported, with temperatures reaching 37.1C in some areas.
Key points
- Seven deaths in France linked to extreme heat
- Record high temperatures reached 37.1C in France
- UK recorded its hottest May day at 34.8C
- Five deaths in France attributed to drowning
- National average temperature in France hit 24.4C
Mentioned in this story
FranceUK
Météo France
Seven people have died in France in an extreme early-summer heat event that is affecting a swathe of western Europe, as France and the UK set record highs for May and temperatures were forecast to rise further on Tuesday.
“What I can say today is that there have been seven deaths linked directly or indirectly to the heat,” the government spokesperson, Maud Bregeon, told French television TF1, adding that five of the deaths were by drowning.
Météo France, the national weather agency, said Monday’s highest reading – 37.1C – was recorded near Hossegor, in the south-western department of Les Landes, adding that temperatures across the west of the country could exceed 36C on Tuesday.
It said Monday was “the hottest day measured for a month of May since records began”, with the national average temperature, measured at 30 stations across the country, hitting 24.4C, compared with a previous high of 23.7C dating back to 1944.
The UK’s Met Office said Monday was the country’s hottest May day on record, with temperatures hitting 34.8C at Kew Gardens, south-west London – a reading it described as “exceptional in the UK even in mid-summer, let alone May”.
In Spain, widespread highs of 36-38C in the Guadiana, Guadalquivir and Ebro valleys are expected to continue possibly until Friday, the state weather service, Aemet, has said, adding that “in some of those areas, temperatures could reach 40C”.
In Italy’s Lazio region, which includes Rome, authorities have imposed restrictions on work in conditions “with prolonged exposure in the sun” – for example on farms, construction sites and in the delivery sector – between 12.30pm and 4pm.
Eight of France’s 96 administrative departments have been placed on an orange high-temperature alert, the second-highest level, requiring the population to “be vigilant and take precautions”, with a further 20 on a more moderate yellow warning.
It was first time the country’s national heat warning system has been activated in the month of May since it was introduced in 2004.
People sit on the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris. Photograph: Tom Nicholson/Reuters
Q&A
How many deaths in France are linked to the recent heatwave?
Seven deaths have been reported in France linked directly or indirectly to the extreme heat.
What were the record temperatures recorded in France and the UK?
France recorded a high of 37.1C, while the UK saw temperatures reach 34.8C, both setting records for May.
What caused the deaths related to the heat in France?
Five of the seven deaths were attributed to drowning, with the heat being a contributing factor.
What is the significance of the temperatures recorded in May 2023?
The temperatures recorded in May 2023 are the highest since records began, indicating an alarming trend in early summer heat events.
