Three fatalities in France have been attributed to health problems driven by an ongoing extreme heat event, officials said as authorities across Europe issued heatwave warnings for Monday. Nearly 2,700 schools in France were set to close or adjust timetables in response to the soaring temperatures.
Weather forecasts called for Bordeaux in southwestern France to exceed 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday, and Meteo France designated 49 regional administrative areas under a red heatwave warning for the day.
French Health Minister Stephanie Rist, speaking on television channel TF1, warned of a prolonged period of intense heat, saying: "Were heading for, at the very least, several days of very, very hot weather. We dont know when temperatures will start falling." Her comments underscored uncertainty about when relief might arrive.
Across the border in Spain, the state weather agency Aemet placed the Basque country on red alert. Temperatures in San Sebastian were forecast to reach 40C, a level described as almost double the historic average for this time of year according to the climate monitor cited by weather authorities. Aemet spokesperson Rub e9n del Campo said the region was seeing temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees above normal for the season, and in parts of northern Spain the deviation exceeded 10 degrees.
Nighttime hours offered little respite in some Spanish provinces. Aemet reported that temperatures failed to drop below 25C in parts of the country and remained at or above 30C in areas such as the southwestern province of Almeria, reducing opportunities for cooling and recovery.
On a continental scale, Europe was running furthest from its historical norm on Monday, with an average high temperature of 24C, which was 4.1C above the 1961-1990 benchmark used for comparison. By contrast, Asia and North America were reported to be 2C and 1.3C above their historic norms respectively.
Wildlife rehabilitation centres in northern Europe reported a surge in admissions linked to the heat. Birds that nest in roof eaves - including swifts, swallows, sparrows and starlings - were highlighted as particularly vulnerable when roof temperatures climbed.
Romaine de Jaegere, a biologist and founder of the Centre for the Rehabilitation of Animals Living in the Wild (Creaves) in Temploux, Belgium, described dangerous conditions on rooftops, saying: "Temperatures on the roofs can sometimes reach 50, even 60 degrees Celsius. So they prefer to jump rather than let themselves die and literally cook in their nests." De Jaegere said the shelter had taken in 150 animals over the previous three days.
The current episode has prompted a range of public safety actions and disruptions, from school schedule changes to emergency responses at wildlife centres. Officials and agencies emphasised the elevated and persistent nature of the heat and the limited overnight cooling in some areas, factors that increase strain on vulnerable populations and on services responding to heat-related incidents.
With forecasts signalling further very high daytime temperatures across large parts of France and Spain and with night temperatures failing to provide relief in some localities, authorities and care organisations face an ongoing period of heightened demand and uncertainty about when conditions will abate.