France Hit by Record Heat, Thousands of Homes Left Without Power at the Peak of the Heatwave

France is facing an unprecedented heatwave, which is expected to reach its peak on Wednesday, while tens of thousands of families in the west of the country have been left without electricity.

According to the authorities, around 68,000 homes in Brittany have been affected by the outages, while full power supply is not expected to be restored before the evening.

Most of the country remains under pressure from extreme temperatures, with more than half of France under a red alert for heat. In the southwest, the thermometer could climb to 43°C, while in Pissos, in the Landes region, 44.3°C was recorded, one of the highest temperatures of this heatwave.

Meteo France said that Tuesday was the hottest day ever recorded in the country, with a national average of 29.8°C. The hottest night in history was also recorded, at 29.9°C.

The toll from heat-related incidents has worsened, as authorities say that at least 40 people have died in France since last week. At the same time, the red alert has been extended to 58 regions, while another 31 regions remain under an orange alert.

The high temperatures are not limited to France alone. The heatwave has also spread to other parts of Western Europe, where the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have been placed under alerts for extreme heat. In some parts of Britain, temperatures are expected to reach as high as 38°C. Strong warnings have also been issued in Central and Eastern Europe, including in Poland, Croatia and Hungary.

Forecasts show that this heatwave will continue in the coming days, gradually moving toward Eastern Europe.