France's public health authority said on Friday that more than 100 people had died from drowning between June 1 and July 2 this year, an increase of 58% over the same period last year, blaming it on unusually warm weather at the end of June.

Humanity’s burning of fossil fuels directly led to the deaths of at least 1,500 people in a European heatwave last week, a landmark study said.

A blaze in southern France forced the closure of the Marseille airport, and weather agencies issued warnings for other parts of Europe where temperatures were expected to climb this week.