French authorities are expanding red heat alerts to 54 departments and report at least 18 confirmed deaths as hospitals prepare for a sharp rise in heat-related patients.The heat dome has pushed daytime temperatures above 40°C across western and central Europe, forcing train cancellations between Paris and Brussels, school closures, battery-drained electric buses in Rome and local public-order measures.Scientists point to Copernicus Climate Change Service data and
World Health Organization Europe estimates that link rising frequency and intensity of heat waves to climate change, while Prime Minister
Sébastien Lecornu has convened a crisis meeting and governments roll out targeted relief.