health
Macron calls for vigilance as western Europe faces second heatwave of year
More than half of France’s population under severe weather warning with temperatures expected to exceed 40C
TL;DR
- Over half of France's population is under a severe weather warning as temperatures are expected to exceed 40C.
- President Macron has called for "extreme vigilance" and urged citizens to protect the elderly and vulnerable.
- The current heatwave could rival the severity of the 2003 event, which caused over 14,800 deaths.
- Disruptions in France include cancelled intercity trains, rescheduled school exams, and potential cuts in nuclear power output.
- Spain is also experiencing high temperatures, expected to reach 40C in southern areas and persist for several days.
- Germany is forecast to reach 36C by the weekend, with heat warnings issued even at higher altitudes, and schools implementing shorter days due to the heat.
- A 30-year-old man died in France after suffering cardiac arrest on an athletics track during a 37C heat event.