France records hottest day ever as Europe suffers brutal heat wave

A high of 44.3 Celsius (111.7 degrees Fahrenheit) was measured in parts of Landes, in the southwest.

The record of 29.8 C for France’s national thermal indicator — an average of day and nighttime temperatures measured at 30 weather stations — was only the latest in a series of never-before-registered highs heaped on Europe in this latest heat wave.

“Further record-breaking temperatures are expected, including some that could surpass all previous records, regardless of the time of year,” the Meteo France weather service said, adding that the conditions were comparable to a 16-day heatwave in ​August ⁠2003 that caused an estimated 80,000 excess deaths across Europe.

At least 48 people have died in France from drowning as they tried to escape the crippling heat, authorities said.

Two young children were killed by heat in a car, prosecutors in the southern commune of Carpentras said in a statement Wednesday. “The mother, speaking voluntarily, confirmed that the children had locked themselves in the vehicle without her knowledge,” it added.

At Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, passengers scrolling through their weather apps were greeted with a slew of red across much of France early Wednesday, warning about the risks of extreme heat for tens of millions of people.

“We knew it would be hot, we didn’t realize it would be the hottest day of on record,” a woman arriving from the U.K. told her friend as they waited in line. Another woman said she would hide out in her hotel where there is air conditioning.

Tourists hoping to visit the city’s iconic Eiffel Tower may be disappointed for a second day after it closed Tuesday afternoon. Those with tickets were asked to check their emails on the tower’s website Wednesday. “Visitors without tickets are asked to postpone their visit,” it said.

The Louvre museum also said it would close two hours earlier than normal from Wednesday through Saturday.

“Although parts of its historic building are naturally resilient, the museum remains vulnerable and is not sufficiently adapted to climate change,” Louvre officials said. “Heat buildup is greatest toward the end of the day and is further intensified by high visitor numbers.”

“We’re experiencing an episode of exceptional intensity,” French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Tuesday. “Every day and every night, local and national temperature records are being broken.”