Another heatwave grips Europe

Thirteen people died by drowning in searing temperatures in France over the weekend, with the heatwave set to intensify from Monday across much of Europe, forcing warnings and special measures.

The latest hot spell that has left the continent sweltering has seen outdoor events cancelled, transport disrupted, schools shut and office workers told to work from home, as the authorities issued health alerts to protect the elderly and vulnerable.

In France, 49 of the country’s 96 mainland departments were on the highest heat alert, with temperatures forecast to climb up to 43C in the southwestern city of Bordeaux and 39C in the capital Paris, weather service Meteo-France said.

The government’s emergency response cell warned people not to try to cool off in unsupervised areas such as lakes and rivers, after the drowning deaths at the weekend, which included a 13-year-old girl, according to the civil defence authorities.

Some 845 schools were shut yesterday because of the heat, with another 1,800 set to allow students to leave earlier than usual.

French forecasters say the current heatwave, which has already been blamed for the deaths of several elderly people, could end up being as serious as the one in August 2003 that claimed the lives of nearly 15,000 in France.

French and Belgian authorities also cancelled or cut back rail services because of fears about breakdowns causing logjams and delays.

Spain’s weather service warned of “extremely high” temperatures for the season, day and night, until Wednesday, with temperatures forecast to hit 44C in some areas. Britain’s Met Office issued an amber extreme heat warning — the second-highest — from Monday to Thursday, with temperatures forecast to exceed 35C.

The heatwave is the second in consecutive months, after an unusually hot spell in May broke new ground.