At least 40 people have died in France after drowning while swimming in unsupervised areas during a severe heatwave affecting the country and other parts of Europe, officials have said.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Tuesday that the deaths, recorded since Thursday, were mainly among young people. He was speaking after a crisis meeting as the country registered its hottest night on record.
The national weather agency Meteo-France said the country recorded its highest night temperature since records began in 1947, with an average of 21.6 degrees Celsius between Monday and Tuesday. Authorities said the heatwave has also led to record temperatures in several cities and placed 54 areas under red alert.
In other incidents linked to the extreme weather, local officials said two children aged two and four were found unconscious in a car in southeastern France, while three elderly people also died in the Bordeaux region from heat-related health problems.


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