The high temperatures revived the spectre of the 2003 heatwave, which killed 30,000 people in Europe, half of them in France. This year, around a quarter of France was affected by the heatwave, predominately in the southwest.

French authorities, who were accused of reacting too slowly to the tragic 2003 heatwave, were leaving little to chance this year, and hospitals and retirement homes were on high alert.

 

The Netherlands, Finland and Sweden all reported unusually hot weather.

 

 

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