Around 20 people have drowned while swimming in unsupervised areas in France since the weekend, authorities said on Tuesday, as people tried to escape a heatwave sweeping across large parts of Europe.
Much of France was set to experience temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, forecaster MeteoFrance said.
“There have been around 20 deaths since the weekend,” French sports minister Marina Ferrari told France Inter radio.
“To go swimming in unauthorized areas, during a heatwave, is not something to take lightly,” she added.
© Thomson Reuters 2026.
