France raised its national heat health alert to its highest level Wednesday as a deadly heatwave rolling east across Europe claimed lives among young people — not only the elderly typically most at risk.
French health officials confirmed heat-linked deaths are being recorded across age groups, a pattern that prompted the emergency escalation of the alert system.
Germany is forecast to see temperatures reach 40C in parts of the country in the coming days as the system shifts eastward from France and the Iberian Peninsula.
Authorities in both countries told residents to stay indoors during peak afternoon heat, drink water continuously, and check on neighbours.
Emergency services in France were placed on heightened readiness. Cooling centres were opened in multiple cities.
The heatwave follows a pattern of accelerating summer temperature extremes across the continent, with France's alert system — designed specifically after the catastrophic 2003 heatwave that killed tens of thousands — now operating at its ceiling.
Meteorologists tracking the system told European outlets the heat mass is expected to push into central and eastern Europe by the weekend, with Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic all facing elevated temperature warnings.
French health ministry officials are expected to brief the press Thursday morning on the confirmed death toll and regional impact assessments.