40 Drowning Deaths in French Heat Wave a Year Ago as UK Braces for Record June Temperatures

France recorded 40 drowning deaths during an early June 2025 heatwave, as people sought cooling relief in rivers and lakes. The UK Met Office issued a Red Extreme Heat Warning this week for temperatures forecast near 39°C, potentially the highest June reading on record. That 2025 French toll—concentrated in open-water settings—provides British emergency planners a concrete behavioral warning: impulsive cooling attempts carry mortality risk when heat accelerates.