Two children aged two and four were found dead in a family car in Carpentras, southeast France, on Monday afternoon. The heatwave is the leading hypothesis for their deaths, according to a local prosecutor.
"The causes of death are yet to be determined, but the heatwave is the leading hypothesis," the local prosecutor Hélène Mourges told AFP.
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The incident comes as France faces a prolonged period of extreme temperatures. On Sunday, three people — two men and a woman aged between 80 and 95 — died in France as an exceptional heatwave pushed temperatures above 40°C across parts of the country.
The national weather service, Météo-France, has warned that the heatwave will continue through the week, with Monday and Tuesday expected to bring “exceptionally high levels” of temperature across much of the country. Some areas are expected to exceed 40°C.
The French Ministry of Health urged people to drink water regularly, avoid alcohol, keep homes cool and limit physical exertion during the hottest hours of the day.
