France has reported 40 heatwave-related drowning deaths in recent days, with most victims being young people, according to government officials. The extreme heat affecting France is part of a broader European heatwave impacting the UK, Italy, and Spain, posing significant risks to public health and safety. The World Meteorological Organization reports that Europe is warming at more than twice the global average rate. Record-breaking temperatures were recorded in Bordeaux, France, reaching 41.9°C, surpassing previous highs. France has also been forced to shut down a nuclear reactor due to overheating river water used for cooling. Schools across France have closed early due to dangerously high indoor temperatures, and similar preventative measures are being taken in Spain and Germany, where five drowning deaths have been reported. Italy has declared a red alert for extreme heat in 12 cities as a hot air mass from North Africa remains trapped over Western Europe.