Two children die in France heatwave

PARIS (AFP) — Two children, ages two and four, were found dead inside a parked car in southern France on Monday, in what authorities believe were heat-related deaths as a severe heatwave gripped much of Europe.

The children were discovered in cardiac arrest in their family’s vehicle in a residential parking lot in Carpentras after emergency responders received a call around 1:20 p.m., authorities said. Their mother was also treated at the scene and has not yet been questioned.

The deaths came as extreme temperatures forced school closures, disrupted transportation and prompted health alerts across Europe. Scientists have long linked increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves to climate change.

France recorded its hottest average temperature ever for June, with daytime and nighttime temperatures reaching 29.2 degrees Celsius (84.6 Fahrenheit), surpassing the previous record set 30 June 2025, according to Meteo-France.

More than 1,350 schools were closed because of the heat, while red-alert warnings were expanded to cover more than half of the country’s departments, affecting about 39-million people. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was expected to convene a crisis meeting Tuesday.

In Spain, temperatures reached 40C (104F) in Madrid, where city officials opened a “climate refuge” for homeless and vulnerable residents.

“Overwhelming, very overwhelming. For someone who is not used to being in the street, going without a shower, without food, it is a little bit tough. The heat outside is very intense,” homeless resident Camilo told TeleMadrid.

In Cordoba, another city hit by 40C temperatures, streets were largely empty as residents sought relief from the heat.

“It feels horrendous,” Clarisa Arismendi, a 38-year-old doctor from Mexico, told AFP. “The heat right now is really, really, really bad.”

Britain issues rare red heat warning

Britain’s Met Office issued a rare red warning for extreme heat — its highest alert level — for Wednesday and Thursday, warning of risks to life and major disruptions to roads and rail services.

It marks only the second time such a warning has been issued. Temperatures are forecast to reach 40C (104F) in parts of central and southern England, including London and Birmingham.

Some schools in southwest England planned to end classes early.

Children fall ill as temperatures rise

Temperatures in France were forecast to reach 43C (109F) in Bordeaux and 39C (102F) in Paris.

Gaelle Roubere, a Paris mother, said emergency services were called after several students became ill at her child’s school.

“There was vomiting, nausea,” she said.

Signs posted at the school read: “38C in classrooms is TOO HOT!”

“With this intense heat at the moment, it’s tricky. You really have to protect yourself from the sun,” nurse Mamone Outhaithany, 31, said in Marseille.

“You need to stay hydrated, otherwise you don’t feel well.”

French authorities also warned against swimming in unsupervised lakes and rivers after 13 people drowned over the weekend. In Germany, police reported five fatal swimming accidents during the same period.