40 drowning deaths reported in France as Europe swelters in heat wave

There were 40 deaths from drowning recorded in France over the last week, as people turned to swimming in hopes of finding relief from a scorching heat wave. Millions across Europe faced extreme temperatures on Tuesday, and sweltering conditions continued to hit France particularly hard. The 40 people who died by drowning since last Thursday were mainly young people, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said. "It's not something to be taken lightly, going swimming in unsupervised areas during a heat wave," said French Sports and Youth Minister Marina Ferrari, CBS partner BBC News reported , citing an interview with French radio. Extreme conditions are expected to last at least until the end of the week, with daytime highs above 104 degrees Fahrenheit in many towns. In a country without widespread air conditioning, schools, public transportation and sporting events have been impacted. In Paris, the Eiffel Tower adjusted its operations for the scorching weather, closing in the afternoon instead of late at night as it usually does. "Further record-breaking temperatures are expected, including some that could surpass all previous records, regardless of the time of year," Meteo France, the national weather service, said. Temperatures on Tuesday will remain high around the clock in France. Meteo France placed 54 departments, about half the country, under a red heat wave alert. …