France grapples with power cuts as historic heatwave reaches peak on Wednesday

Around 68,000 households in Brittany remain without electricity as France braces for the apex of a record-breaking heatwave on Wednesday. Authorities confirmed that full power restoration may not happen until Wednesday night at the earliest.

More than half of France is under a red heat alert, with Météo France forecasting a high of 43C (109.4F) in the southwest later in the day. This follows Tuesday, which became the hottest day since records began, recording an average temperature of 29.8C (85.54F). Pissos, in the Landes region, hit a staggering 44.3C on Tuesday. The country also endured its hottest night ever from Monday into Tuesday, with a national average of 29.9C.

The extreme weather has spread across western Europe. The Netherlands issued an orange alert for dangerous conditions, while the UK placed parts of the country under a rare red heat alert, expecting temperatures of 38C on Thursday. The Netherlands and Belgium anticipate peak heat on Friday, and Germany could see 40C over the weekend. Eastern Europe, including Poland, Croatia, and Hungary, faces severe heat warnings later in the week.

France, Spain, and Italy have borne the brunt of the heatwave so far. French Prime Minister reported 40 drownings in heatwave-related incidents since last Thursday. Red alerts expanded to include four more regions on Wednesday, totalling 58, with 31 more under orange alert. La Rochelle recorded 29C by 05:00 local time. Highs of 39 to 40C are forecast across western France, from Paris to Brittany, persisting until the weekend.

Bordeaux may break its all-time temperature record for a third consecutive day. The previous record of 41.6C, set on 11 August 2025, fell to 41.8C on Monday and 42.1C on Tuesday. Relief is expected from Friday, with gradual cooling and thunderstorms that could bring flash flooding and large hail.

Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou told French radio that "we're in the process of finding out we've become a hot country." Authorities warned of heightened forest fire risks. In Maine-et-Loire, over 150 firefighters battled a major blaze in the Breignon forest; it was contained overnight with no injuries reported. The Louvre in Paris also closed early this week, citing the fragility of its historic building.

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📰 Source: BBC World