A record-breaking heatwave is affecting much of France and has caused the country’s first major power outage during the current extreme-weather episode. On Wednesday, around 68,000 households in north-west France, including Brittany and the coastal department of Finistère, lose electricity. French weather authorities issue a red alert for extreme conditions that covers most of the country, reaching as far north as the region around Calais.
Local authorities say the outage is linked to the heat. The prefecture in Finistère reports that the disruption is related to extreme temperatures and that no injuries occur. Another account says the outage is associated with a transformer on the power grid.
Temperatures are expected to reach about 39°C to 41°C across areas including Brittany and the Paris region on Wednesday, according to meteorological information cited by outlets covering the event. The combination of sustained high temperatures and grid strain is therefore driving both the widespread heat alert and the localized power disruption.
