Record heat triggers northwestern France's first major blackout this season

A heatwave knocked out power to 68,000 homes in northwestern France on Wednesday—the region's first significant grid failure this year. The cooler zone typically sees low air-conditioning adoption, so sudden demand spikes strain distribution networks. France's nuclear reactors face separate constraints: when river temperatures rise, regulatory limits on thermal discharges force output reductions, tightening supplies across Europe's interconnected energy markets.