France records hottest day ever as deadly heat wave grips Europe

France has recorded its hottest day ever amid an exceptional heat wave in Europe. The national weather agency says France’s national thermal indicator—an average of temperatures measured at 30 weather stations— hit a new record of 29.8 C (85.6 F). The previous record of 29.4°C (84.9°F) dated back to heat waves of August 2003 and July 2019. France has recorded 40 fatalities from drowning in the past week as people seek relief from the searing heat. The national weather service, Meteo France, placed 54 departments, about half the country, under a red heat wave alert. ------------------------------------- Follow Scripps News on other platforms— Join our newsletter at https://bit.ly/2q1tepr Follow us on Facebook:   / scrippsnews   Follow us on X: https://x.com/scrippsnews Follow us on Instagram:   / scrippsnews   Follow us on TikTok:   / scrippsnews