France has recorded its hottest day since records began in 1947, its national weather agency says, breaking a record set on Tuesday as an early summer heatwave grips western Europe.
The national temperature indicator – an average of day and night temperatures across dozens of locations – hit 30C, up from 29.8C a day earlier.
More than half the country remains under a red heat alert with tens of thousands of homes in the west without power.
It comes as a searing European heatwave continues to cause deaths and disruption, particularly in France, Spain and Italy.
Climate change is driving up temperatures around the world – but particularly in Europe. It is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service.
This is causing increased summer heatwaves, greater pressure on Europe's water supply, and more intense wildfires.
The heatwave spread to other parts of western Europe on Wednesday, with an orange alert for dangerous weather in place for parts of the Netherlands.
A rare red heat alert is in place for parts of the UK, with June records breaking on Wednesday as the English county of Hampshire recorded 36.1C. Temperatures could hit 38C on Thursday, forecasters say.
Meanwhile, Météo-France recorded provisional maximum temperatures across the country that "remained relatively stable compared to the previous day".
Highs ranged from 39C to 43C across much of western France, with with 43C recorded in the Poitou-Charentes-Val de Loire region, slightly lower than the 44.3C seen in Pissos on Tuesday.
Temperatures are expected to peak in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany nearer the weekend.
The heatwave will also extend to eastern Europe over the next few days, with severe heat warnings issued for countries including Poland, Croatia and Hungary for later in the week.
Some relief from the heat in France is expected from Friday, with temperatures expected to gradually drop.
Labour minister Jean-Pierre Farandou said France is "in the process of finding out we've become a hot country" and warned society may need to adapt.
Authorities also warned that the risk of forest fires is higher during such a prolonged and intense heatwave.
In the Maine-et-Loire region, more than 150 firefighters were deployed to fight a major fire on Tuesday in the Breignon forest in Saint-Macaire-du-Bois. It was brought under control overnight, officials said.
In Paris, two landmarks – the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower – closed earlier than usual due to the intense heat.
A spokesperson for the Louvre said the building was "not sufficiently adapted to climate change".
At least 40 people have drowned in heatwave-related incidents in France since last Thursday, including a six-year-old at a beach in Bègles, Gironde.
Several drownings have also been reported in Germany, including a a 26-year-old man who died after going into the Danube River near Regensburg in Bavaria on Tuesday evening.
There are also fears of drought in some regions. In Brandenburg, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia, authorities are urging people to use water sparingly, German newspaper Die Welt reports.
Barbecue bans have also been introduced in cities including Stuttgart and Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg, local media report.
While Spain has experienced baking heat over the last few days, temperatures were expected to start falling on the Iberian peninsula on Wednesday.
But red heat alerts remain in place for parts of northern Spain, with a maximum temperature of 42C possible in parts of the Basque country, forecaster Aemet said.
Spain's state meteorological agency said the country recorded its highest daily average temperatures in June since at least 1950, with Tuesday's average of 28.17C breaking the previous 2025 record of 28.01C.
In Italy, meanwhile, 16 provincial capitals are now under red heat alerts, with Latina added to the list on Wednesday, while Bari will be added on Thursday, Italian news agency Ansa said.
The Dutch weather service, the KNMI, has issued a Code Orange weather alert, which refers to a "high chance of dangerous weather" in southern and central areas of the Netherlands from Wednesday until at least Friday.
KNMI said maximum temperatures of 37C were expected, while Friday could see the mercury hit 39C.
Most of Belgium is under an orange alert, with highs of 37C expected over the next few days.
The French doctor had been working in DR Congo, where more than 260 people are known to have died.
France is being forced to re-think its longstanding reservations about air-conditioning as temperatures soar.
France head coach Didier Deschamps will miss his side's final World Cup group game following the death of his mother, the French Football Federation confirms.
France's World Cup match against Iraq was delayed for two hours because of the weather. BBC Sport look at how the sides dealt with it.
Kylian Mbappe marks his 100th international cap for France with two goals in a 3-0 win over Iraq which seals' Les Bleus place in the last 32, after a two-hour storm delay.
Copyright 2026 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
Leave a Reply