- France recorded its hottest day ever Tuesday, with the national thermal indicator, an average of temperatures measured at 30 weather stations, reaching a new record of 29.8 C (85.6 F), surpassing previous highs from 2003 and 2019.
- Daytime highs above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) were also recorded in many individual weather stations, Meteo France said. The severe heat has resulted in 40 drowning fatalities in France since last Thursday, mainly among young people, and has led Meteo France to place 54 departments, approximately half the country, under a red heatwave alert.
- Major Parisian attractions, including the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre museum, adjusted their operating hours due to the scorching temperatures, with the Louvre citing its vulnerability to climate change and heat buildup.
- The heatwave is impacting tens of millions across Europe, with Italy, Spain, and Britain also experiencing extreme high temperatures, and these conditions are expected to last at least until the end of the week.
- This extreme weather event aligns with projections from the U.N. climate agency, which links human-caused climate change to increasingly severe weather patterns and anticipates more heat records to be broken in the next five years.
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