Imagine your fan cutting out just as Europe turns into an oven. That’s the reality for thousands in France right now.

So, it’s absolutely roasting in France at the moment – and the power grid is feeling it. About 68,000 homes across Brittany were left without electricity on Wednesday, and authorities reckon some people won’t get it back until late tonight at the earliest. Not ideal when the country’s in the middle of a record-breaking heatwave.

More than half of France is still under a red heat alert, with Météo France saying the southwest could see a brutal 43°C later today. That’s after Tuesday officially became France’s hottest day on record, with the national average hitting 29.8°C. The village of Pissos in Landes wasn’t messing about either – it clocked 44.3°C.

And nights aren’t offering much relief. Monday into Tuesday was the hottest night ever recorded in France, with an average of 29.9°C across the country. La Rochelle was already at 29°C by 5am on Wednesday. Bordeaux might even smash its all-time record for a third day running. The previous record was 41.6°C last August, but Monday saw 41.8°C and Tuesday hit 42.1°C.

It’s not just France, either. The heat’s spreading across western Europe. The Netherlands has an orange alert, the UK’s got a rare red alert with 38°C possible on Thursday, and Germany could see 40°C by the weekend. Eastern Europe’s next in line, with Poland, Croatia and Hungary getting severe heat warnings.

Sadly, the heat is already proving dangerous. France’s prime minister says at least 40 people have drowned in heatwave-related incidents since last Thursday. That includes a six-year-old at an unsupervised beach in Bègles and a 17-year-old in a prohibited part of the Marne River near Paris. Germany’s seen drownings too, including a 26-year-old in the Danube.

Fire risk is also through the roof. Over 150 firefighters battled a major blaze in the Breignon forest in Maine-et-Loire on Tuesday. It’s under control now, but authorities are on high alert.

Even the tourist spots are struggling. The Louvre closed early this week because the historic building just isn’t built for this kind of heat – especially with huge visitor numbers making it worse. The Eiffel Tower’s also shutting earlier than usual.

Labour minister Jean-Pierre Farandou told French radio, “We’re in the process of finding out we’ve become a hot country” and said society might have to adapt.

There’s some hope on the horizon. Temperatures should start dropping from Friday, but that’ll come with thunderstorms, flash flooding risks, and even large hail. Spain and Italy are still baking – 16 Italian provincial capitals are under red alerts – while the Dutch KNMI has a Code Orange warning with 39°C possible by Friday.

Belgium’s also activated its national ozone and heat plan for only the second time ever. The first was August 2020.

Why’s this happening? Climate change. Europe’s warming twice as fast as the global average, according to Copernicus, which means more intense heatwaves, water pressure, and wildfires. Last year over one million hectares burnt across Europe – a record.

Key Points at a Glance:

- Power cuts: 68,000 homes in Brittany without power during peak heat

- Record temps: France hit 44.3°C in Pissos; hottest night on record at 29.9°C average

- Wider impact: UK, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and eastern Europe all under heat alerts

- Safety risks: 40+ drownings in France, major forest fires, museum closures

Attribution: cbinews.tv

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