France Hit By Power Outages As Record Heatwave Intensifies

Tens of thousands of homes in western France were left without electricity on Wednesday as the country endured a record-breaking heatwave that is expected to peak with temperatures reaching as high as 43°C.

Authorities said about 68,000 homes in the Brittany region were affected by power outages, with full restoration not expected until late Wednesday at the earliest.

The disruption comes as more than half of France remains under the highest-level heat alert, with forecasters warning of exceptionally dangerous conditions across large parts of the country.

According to Météo France, the country recorded its hottest day since national records began on Tuesday, with an average temperature of 29.8°C.

The southwestern town of Pissos recorded 44.3°C, among the highest temperatures measured during the current heatwave.

France also experienced its hottest night on record between Monday and Tuesday, with an average overnight temperature of 29.9°C nationwide.

The extreme heat has spread across western Europe, prompting weather alerts in several countries.

Parts of the Netherlands are under orange heat warnings, while the United Kingdom has issued rare red alerts ahead of temperatures forecast to reach 38°C.

Germany could see temperatures climb to 40°C later this week, while severe heat warnings have also been issued in Poland, Croatia and Hungary.

French authorities said at least 40 people have drowned in heat-related incidents since the heatwave began last week.

Météo France expanded its red alert warning to 58 regions on Wednesday, while 31 others remain under orange alert.

By early morning, temperatures in parts of southwestern France had already reached 29°C.

Forecasters expect temperatures between 39°C and 40°C across much of western France, including Paris and Brittany, with the intense heat likely to persist until the weekend.

In Bordeaux, officials warned that the city's all-time temperature record could be broken for a third consecutive day. The city recorded 41.8°C on Monday and 42.1°C on Tuesday, surpassing the previous record of 41.6°C set in August 2025.

Authorities have also raised concerns over heightened wildfire risks.

More than 150 firefighters were deployed overnight to contain a major forest fire in the Maine-et-Loire region, which was eventually brought under control without injuries.

Relief is expected from Friday as temperatures gradually begin to decline, although meteorologists warn that thunderstorms accompanying the cooler air could trigger flash flooding and large hailstorms in some areas.

French Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou said the country must adapt to increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat.

"We are discovering that we have become a hot country," he said, warning that climate conditions are changing faster than many had anticipated.