France Faces Another Scorching Day as Europe’s Heatwave Rages on

Sun Jul 12 2026 08:21:37 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

France sees another hot day as Europe’s heatwave spreads, with power outages, wildfires, and red alerts across the continent.

France is in the grip of a scorching heatwave, with over half the country under a red heat alert. Power cuts hit tens of thousands in Brittany, while a massive wildfire was contained overnight in Maine‑Loire. The heat has already claimed dozens of lives, including a 13‑year‑old girl in the Seine. Heat warnings are spreading across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, while climate‑change experts warn that Europe’s warming trend fuels these extreme events.

France Faces Another Scorching Day as Europe’s Heatwave Rages on

The temperature across France is set to reach 40 °C on Wednesday, putting most of the country under a red heat alert. With the nation already recording its hottest June day since records began, the heatwave is expected to spread further into western Europe and beyond the weekend.

In the west‑north region, a power transformer failure left around 68,000 homes without electricity. Residents in Brittany have already reported voltage failures, and power supplies are not expected to be fully restored until the end of Wednesday.

Meteo France added four more regions to the red alert list, now covering 58 areas across the country. An additional 31 regions carry an orange alert to warn of rising temperatures and grey‑zone risks.

The heat was a trigger for a serious wildfire in the forest of Breignon in the Maine‑Loire region; more than 150 firefighters fired up the troops to bring the blaze under control overnight. The incident highlights the risk of extreme weather exacerbating fires in dry landscapes.

The heat has also taken a human toll. Prime Minister’s office has confirmed that 40 people have lost their lives in heatwave‑related incidents since last Thursday, including a 13‑year‑old girl drowning in the Seine after a family outing where she could not swim.

Across Europe, heat warnings are climbing. The Dutch weather service, KNMI, has issued a Code Orange alert for southern and central regions, forecasting highs of 37 °C through Friday. Belgium’s Ministry of Environnement is activating a national heat‑plan for the second time in its history, with plans to raise awareness among the elderly and children.

Germany is bracing for temperatures of up to 40 °C over the weekend, while the Czech Republic’s regional forecasters are also noting warming patterns. All these signals point to a continent experiencing a shift toward more frequent and intense heatwaves.

Climate change is accelerating the speed of warming in Europe, which is now heating up twice as fast as the global average. This rapid rise in temperature feeds longer, hotter summers, strains water supplies, promotes forest fires, and pushes cities toward red-heat conditions.

Pedestrian using electric fan to cool in Paris

Heatwave map of Europe

Readers who feel they are experiencing heat stress can find practical guidance in our “What to do if you think someone has heat exhaustion or heatstroke” guide. Other resources are available for protecting homes, sleeping in hot weather, and staying comfortable during the heatwave.