France remains “trapped” in the “grip” of a severe heat wave, with extreme temperatures being recorded that persist even at night.

Three people have died from health problems caused by the unbearable heat, while nearly 2,700 schools are expected to close or adjust their schedules.

Temperatures in Bordeaux, in southwestern France, were forecast to exceed Monday (June 22), while the meteorological service Meteo France announced that a red alert has been issued for 49 administrative regions.

“We are heading into at least several days of very hot weather. We don’t know when temperatures will start to drop,” French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist told TF1 television.

Temperatures in the 40s in Spain
as well Meanwhile, in Spain, the national meteorological service Aemet issued a red alert for the Basque Country, with temperatures in San Sebastián expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius, nearly double its historical average for this time of year, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor.

“We’re seeing temperatures 5 to 10 degrees above normal for this time of year, and in some northern regions even more than 10 degrees above average,” says Rubén del Campo, a spokesperson for Aemet.

Europe is currently the continent where temperatures deviate the most from normal, with an average high of 24 degrees Celsius, which is 4.1 degrees Celsius above the average for the period from 1961 to 1990, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor, a digital tool developed by Reuters to track the effects of climate change in real time. By comparison, Asia and North America are 2 degrees Celsius and 1.3 degrees Celsius above normal, respectively.

Wildlife refuges in northern Europe are making great efforts to cope with the high number of animals suffering from the heat. Birds such as house martins, swallows, sparrows, and wagtails, which build their nests on the eaves of houses, have been particularly affected by the abnormally high temperatures, says Romain de Geiger, a biologist and founder of CREAVES, a wildlife sanctuary in Templou, Belgium.

“The temperature on rooftops can sometimes reach 50, even 60 degrees Celsius. So they’d rather jump than die and literally be roasted in their nests,” de Geiger told Reuters, adding that the shelter has taken in 150 animals over the past three days.