France enters fifth heat wave as western Europe battles drought and wildfires

Large parts of western Europe are enduring another spell of extreme heat, with France entering its fifth heat wave of an already exceptional summer. Forecasts on Thursday put temperatures at 40°C (104°F) in central and southern regions, including the western city of Bordeaux, and 38°C in Paris.

The prolonged hot spell has deepened drought conditions across much of the continent. Rivers have run low, crops have withered, and pressure is mounting on water supplies for households, agriculture, and the environment. Governments and water users are now weighing both immediate and long-term responses to the effects of human-caused climate change.

France's public health agency reported on Wednesday that at least 5,700 more deaths than usual occurred during last month's historic heat wave, sharply revising upward its earlier estimate of the toll from record-shattering temperatures.

With the land parched and no significant rainfall in sight, authorities remain on high alert for wildfires. Late Wednesday, blazes broke out in the northern Pas-de-Calais region and in Brittany — areas far from the hotter, drier, and more fire-prone south. Last month, a major fire near Bordeaux destroyed large forest areas and forced roughly 250,000 people to evacuate their homes.