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There's a deadly, record-breaking heat wave spreading east across Europe, reports the Washington Post — and it's even worse than a dire earlier forecast:

The forecast was recorded in 2014 as part of a campaign coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) that invited about 60 presenters worldwide to imagine a weather report from the year 2050. In one clip, Ãvelyne Dh&eacute;liat from French television network TF1 presented a hypothetical scenario of high temperatures 36 years into the future — during a heat wave in a warmer climate in 2050... One of the maps that Dh&eacute;liat shared was lit up in shades of orange, filled with temperature predictions of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), reaching as high as 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit).

But it turns out, it didn't take 36 years for those imagined temperatures to be reached — and even exceeded. The heat on Wednesday alone, when the temperature soared as high as 112.3 degrees Fahrenheit (44.3 degrees Celsius), exceeded the 2050 projections in 19 out of 34 locations across mainland France — far sooner than some may have expected. Some places surpassed those hypothetical future temperatures by more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit. It's part of a dramatic shift in heat wave frequency across the country. Half of the heat waves observed since 1947 have occurred since 2010. "By 2100, heat waves could last up to two months continuously," the country's weather agency, M&eacute;t&eacute;o-France, said this week.

It was hotter in France on Wednesday than in Las Vegas and Phoenix and just two degrees Fahrenheit shy of what was observed in Death Valley, California. An estimated less than one percent of the planet was hotter than France's hottest place... [T]he heat dome, which will linger into early next week, is only part of the story. This type of extreme heat is becoming more common as the planet warms, especially in Europe.

Climate scientist Robert Rohde said in a post explaining the heat wave's causes that France and Western Europe should expect many more heat waves like this over the coming decades. "This isn't a fluke, but simply part of the new normal," he said.

Thanks to Slashdot reader fjo3 for sharing the news.

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France's Heat This Week Was Worse Than a Dire Scenario Imagined For 2050

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France's Heat This Week Was Worse Than a Dire Scenario Imagined For 2050

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Mon Dieu

(Score:4, Interesting)

by Local ID10T ( 790134 ) writes:<br>ID10T.L.USER@gmail.com><br>on Saturday June 27, 2026 @05:55PM (#66213306)<br>Homepage

The heat was so bad in France that they banned drinking alcohol [theguardian.com] in Paris.<br>Imagine telling a Parisian that they cannot drink wine.

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(Score:2)

by Valgrus Thunderaxe ( 8769977 ) writes:

What is the reason for this?

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(Score:3)

by allo ( 1728082 ) writes:

Dehydration and general low availability of ambulances probably.

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(Score:2)

by angel'o'sphere ( 80593 ) writes:

Yes, the reason is: lack of common sense.

Re:Mon Dieu

(Score:4, Informative)

by thegarbz ( 1787294 ) writes:

on Sunday June 28, 2026 @02:58AM (#66213750)

What is the reason for this?

There are many reasons for this. This may have just been in Paris, but banning alcohol consumption during heatwaves at specific events isn't that uncommon. Here's some of the reasons:<br>- Alcohol is massively dehydrating, it's a diuretic making you pee far more than normal. Yes it's still a net positive if you drink beer. It's not a net positive if you drink a spirit. But it is far from as hydrating as drinking water or even softdrink.<br>- Alcohol drops blood pressure. Heat drops blood pressure. Combining the two puts you at a much higher risk...