A deadly heatwave sweeping across Europe has claimed at least 40 lives in France since last Thursday, with record temperatures forcing authorities to issue warnings across several countries.

France has been among the worst-hit nations, along with Spain and Italy, as extreme heat pushed temperatures to unprecedented levels and led to several heat-related deaths, including drowning incidents involving people trying to escape the heat, according to a report by BBC. 

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France sees hottest June day as deaths risk

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said 40 people had died in heatwave-related incidents since last Thursday as temperatures reached record levels across the country.

France recorded its hottest June day ever on Monday, followed by its hottest night on record, with the minimum average temperature reaching 21.6C, according to Météo France.

More than half of the country was placed under red heat alert as authorities warned people to take precautions.

"It's not something to be taken lightly, going swimming in unsupervised areas during a heatwave," sports and youth minister Marina Ferrari told French radio.

The warning came after several people drowned while trying to cool down in rivers and other water bodies.

Among those killed was a 13-year-old girl who went swimming with her family in the River Seine at Fontaine-La Port on Sunday evening. She did not know how to swim.

A young professional footballer was also left in critical condition after being pulled from the River Rhône near Lyon. Emergency teams had been called after four young men got into trouble in an area where swimming is banned.

Heat forces shutdown of nuclear plant

The extreme temperatures also affected France’s energy sector.

The Golfech nuclear power plant in southwestern France was shut down on Monday night because water temperatures in the River Garonne were expected to rise to 28C on Tuesday.

Under French regulations, water used to cool the reactors at the plant cannot go beyond that temperature.

Spain braces for temperatures above 44C

Spain is facing another day of extreme heat, with temperatures expected to rise above 40C in several regions.

Red alerts have been issued in Andalusia in the south, as well as Cantabria and the Basque Country in the north, during the country’s third day of a national heatwave.

The state weather agency Aemet warned that temperatures could reach 44C in rural areas near Córdoba on Tuesday, while parts of the Ebro valley in the northeast could cross 42C.

On Monday, 101 of Aemet’s 828 weather stations recorded temperatures of 40C or higher, with 45C recorded in Andújar.

Spain has become increasingly vulnerable to extreme summer heat. Aemet said June heatwaves are becoming more frequent, with 10 recorded in mainland Spain between 2000 and 2025, compared with just two in the previous 25 years.

"There is evidence that heatwaves were now taking place more frequently at the start of summer than in previous decades," Aemet's Rubén del Campo told Spanish media.

Italy expands heat warnings

Italy has declared a red heatwave alert in 15 cities, including Rome, Milan, Florence, Turin and Venice.

The warning indicates conditions that can pose health risks even for healthy adults, not only elderly people or those with existing health conditions.

The Italian government has also brought back emergency labour protections for workers exposed to extreme heat, including farm and construction workers, to prevent them from working during the hottest hours of the day.

Companies forced to stop or reduce operations because of dangerous temperatures can now access state-backed furlough support.

Germany also reports heat-related deaths

Germany has also reported several fatal incidents as temperatures are expected to climb close to 40C in western and south-western regions by the end of the week.

The German Lifesaving Association (DLRG) said six people died in swimming incidents between Friday and Sunday. It warned that many people, especially men, were overestimating their swimming abilities in the water.

As Europe faces another wave of extreme heat, authorities across the continent are urging people to avoid risky ways of cooling down and take warnings seriously.