France is preparing for another day of extreme temperatures as a severe heatwave continues to grip much of Europe, prompting widespread weather alerts, power disruptions, and wildfire risks.

On Wednesday, more than half of France remained under a red heat alert, the highest level issued by national forecaster Météo-France, as officials warned of continued dangerous conditions across the country. Authorities also extended red alerts to four additional regions, bringing the total to 58, while 31 other regions remain under orange warnings.

The extreme heat has already caused significant disruption. Tens of thousands of households in western Brittany have been left without electricity, while a major wildfire in the Maine-et-Loire region was brought under control overnight.

France had already recorded its hottest June day since records began on Tuesday, with a national average temperature of 29.8°C (85.5°F), underscoring the severity of the ongoing heatwave.

The heatwave is now spreading across western Europe, with the Netherlands issuing orange-level warnings for dangerous weather conditions. Temperatures are expected to peak in the Netherlands and Belgium on Friday, while Germany could see temperatures reach up to 40°C (104°F) over the weekend.

Further east, meteorological agencies have issued severe heat warnings for Poland, Croatia, and Hungary, where extreme temperatures are expected later in the week as the system expands across the continent.

So far, France, Spain, and Italy have been among the countries most affected by the prolonged heatwave. In France alone, authorities report that 40 people have drowned in incidents linked to the extreme heat since last Thursday, according to government statements.

Experts say the heatwave is expected to intensify in some regions before gradually shifting eastward in the coming days, raising concerns over public health, infrastructure strain, and wildfire risks across much of Europe. (ILKHA)