France Faces Major Power Outage as Europe Swelters in Record Heatwave

The Heatwave's Impact on France

Much of Western Europe is bracing for another day of a sweltering heatwave that has smashed temperature records in many countries and left tens of thousands of people without power in France.

Power Outage in France

France's national temperature indicator reached 29.8 degrees Celsius (85.64 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, the hottest since measurements began in 1947. The heatwave caused the country's first major power outage of this latest bout of extreme weather after a heat-related incident with a transformer left about 68,000 households on Wednesday without electricity in the northwestern department of Finistere, authorities said.

The Data Analysis

Up to 106,000 clients of the French power network were left without power by late Tuesday as the scorching temperatures strained infrastructure built before man-driven climate change made heatwaves longer, more frequent and more intense, according to scientists.

The Impact Analysis

The heatwave has caused significant disruptions across Europe, with hundreds of British schools planned to close or close early this week because of the heat while many train services were reduced to avoid heat-related problems on the rail lines. Sales of fans and air conditioners have skyrocketed in France, a country where most buildings are not designed to deal with extreme heat.

The Prediction

The peak of the heatwave is now forecast for Wednesday and Thursday when highs could reach 39C (102.2F) in London or southern England. Conditions are expected to ease by Friday, but no quick relief is in sight across the rest of Western Europe. Eastern Europe is also expected to be hit by the heatwave in the coming days, with Poland, Croatia, and Hungary issuing heat warnings.