Much of France was set to experience temperatures of around 40C on Tuesday, after records were shattered on Monday
Forty people have drowned in France over the past days as they sought to cool down to escape record heat, the prime minister said on Tuesday, as a heatwave swept across much of Europe.
Speaking ahead of an emergency meeting on the heatwave, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said: “A sad scourge when it comes to drownings, as the latest figures just reported to us show 40 deaths since June 18, most of them young people.”
Across France, people have been jumping into canals and rivers to cool off. French sports minister Marina Ferrari said she understood the urge to escape the heat but warned against swimming in unauthorized or dangerous areas.
48 dead from swimming. How does france suck at swimming so bad?
I remember an early heatwave in russia they had a bunch of deaths from drunk people going in the (still very cold) water and it stopping their hearts.
I can’t imagine that is what is going on in france here in late june though.
People in France commonly die of shock cooling and riptides. That’s beyond your imagination though.