Heat Wave Kills At Least 18 In France, Including Two Children Found Dead In Carpentras

A heat wave sweeping western Europe killed at least 18 people in France, including two children left in a hot car, as temperatures smashed records in cities including Bordeaux and Poitiers.

“2 young children found dead in car amid France's heatwave Police open investigation into circumstances surrounding deaths Şeyma Erkul Dayanç 22 June 2026•Update: 22 June 2026 Two boys, aged 2 and 4, were found dead Monday inside a car in Carpentras, southeastern France, amid an intense heatwave, broadcaster TF1 reported”

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In Bordeaux, the temperature rose to 41.9 C, breaking a record set last August, while in Poitiers it reached 41.2 C, surpassing a previous high set in 1947.

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The children, aged 2 and 4, were found unconscious by their mother in the family car outside their home in Carpentras, and first responders were unable to resuscitate them, a prosecutor said.

French Civil Safety service spokesperson Jérôme Boulanger said after 13 people were reported drowned from Sunday into Monday, as the heat pattern was described as an Omega block by Clair Barnes of Imperial College London.

In Carpentras, local prosecutor Hélène Mourges said, "The causes of death are yet to be determined, but the heatwave is the leading line of inquiry," after two children aged two and four were found dead in their family’s car.

The same incident was described by AFP-linked coverage as the heatwave being the "leading hypothesis" for the deaths, with the children found in cardiac arrest after a call at around 1.20pm local time.

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France’s national weather service, Météo-France, warned that temperatures throughout western and central France were likely to exceed 40C from Monday afternoon, hitting 43C in Bordeaux and 39C in Paris.

The Guardian reported that French authorities placed 49 of the country’s 96 mainland departments on a level 1 danger-to-life warning and urged 35 million people to exercise "absolute vigilance" while avoiding strenuous exertion and direct sun.

France’s government issued its highest heat warning across half the country, with forecasters warning the episode could end up being as serious as a 2003 heatwave that claimed the lives of nearly 15,000 people nationwide.

“Two children, aged 2 and 4, found dead in 'very hot' car in heatwave The children reportedly suffered cardiac arrests after being found unresponsive in a hot car during France's major heatwave in Carpentras [World news] Two young children have tragically died after being discovered unresponsive in a "very hot car" parked in their family home's garage, according to local prosecutors”

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France 24 reported that more than 1,350 of the country’s 60,000 schools closed as a safety measure, while another 4,042 adjusted their teaching hours, according to the education ministry.

The Guardian said the Met Office issued an “extreme heat” warning for much of southern England and parts of Wales until Thursday, predicting temperatures of up to 39C.

As the heatwave persisted, France 24 cited Meteo-France forecasts of temperatures reaching 43C in Bordeaux and 39C in Paris on Monday afternoon, while the Guardian reported that scientists said extreme heat events historically confined to high summer will become more frequent, more intense and last longer.