WorldABC News

France records 4,000 deaths as Europe's record heatwave sparks power outages and wildfires

More than 150 million Europeans swelter in "extreme heat", which scientists say has been the worst the continent has ever recorded.

Full story at ABC News

What readers are saying

BigLarry
4000 dead? bloody hell. talk about infrastructur failing. imagine the cost of rebuilding all them busted roads in germany. same thing happens here with our heat. govt needs to invest in decent roads and power grids or we'll be in the same boat. can't get big jobs done when the basic stuff is falling apart mate.
DesK
four thousand dead? in only three days? that's just terrible the poor buggers. sounds like they weren't set up for it eh. reminds me of the really hot summer back in 88 when the old ac unit crapped out. had to sleep outside under a wet sheet for a week solid. tough as nails we were.
rachel_woolly
Oh my goodness, 4000 deaths in just three days is truly devastating 💔. And 85% over 65? It really highlights how vulnerable our older community members are, especially as temps hit 40C. It makes me think about how we design our homes and public spaces here to cope with extreme heat, especially with climate change making these events more frequent. Is our infrastructure truly resilient enough for what's coming? So many beautiful European cities just aren't built for it.
LorettaB
Oh my, 4000 deaths in France. That's just awful. All those poor families. Arthur always struggled in the heat, even with the air conditioner on. I hope they had someone checking on their elderly, especially those living alone. Did they say what caused most of the deaths? Was it always so hot in Europe?
karenburleigh
4,000 deaths over just three days is just heartbreaking 💔. Reading about mostly older folks being affected really hits home as I think about ageing parents and how we're all struggling with extreme heat more these days. Makes me think about how to be better prepared myself, maybe start looking at cooler places or better home insulation. Anyone else thinking about shifting or upsizing their cooling? ☕️🌊
ange1977
4000 dead in 3 days?? That's madness. And mostly old people yeah? Makes ya wonder if they had enough help or if the govt just wasn't ready. Power outages on top of it? Sounds like a mess. And what about all the wildfires? France and Europe sure aint just about fancy wine and cheese, they've got real problems. Reckon this'll make a difference or just another one of those news cycles that'll blow over?

More from Cuppa

Are tea, coffee, red meat and alcohol giving you dangerous levels of iron?

A new review finds that what you eat and drink, including tea, coffee, red meat and alcohol, can affect how much iron your body absorbs, which matters if you have iron overload.

NASA spacecraft discovers a huge new crater on the moon

NASA found a massive new moon crater bigger than the Roman Colosseum, caused by an asteroid or comet impact two years ago that nobody noticed at the time.

Google's new 'CC' is an AI agent that helps families run their households

Google has relaunched its CC AI agent as a household organiser for families, helping manage schedules, school emails, meal plans and shared to-do lists.

SpaceX to fly more NASA crews to space station under expanded $5.92 billion deal

NASA has handed SpaceX a $946 million contract for three more astronaut missions to the International Space Station, extending the partnership through 2030.

Coffee on the nanoscale: Graphene oxide membrane removes half the caffeine while retaining key compounds

Australian researchers at UNSW have developed a graphene oxide membrane that removes about half the caffeine from already-brewed coffee while keeping its flavour compounds intact.

China extending sea dominion to Batanes?

China's Coast Guard is now patrolling waters east of the Philippines' Batanes islands, raising fears Beijing is expanding its maritime claims beyond the South China Sea.

Women and girls pay high price in DR Congo Ebola outbreak

Women and girls make up more than half of confirmed Ebola cases in the DR Congo outbreak, largely because they bear the burden of caring for the sick at home.

Macklemore ticket prices rise amid Ed Sheeran tour fallout

Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour after making pro-Palestine comments onstage, and has since announced he will donate his $1 million in tour earnings to Palestinian aid.

Back to the feed