▲ Parisians enjoy water activities amid the heatwave
France is suffering from a "killer heatwave," with massive power outages compounding the distress of citizens, AFP reported on June 24 (local time).
According to the report, a substation overheating incident caused by the extreme heat occurred the previous night, leaving approximately 68,000 households without electricity in the Finistère region in the northwest alone.
French authorities estimated that as of the previous night, up to 106,000 households across the country had been affected by power outages.
While repair crews worked through the night, AFP reported that the power grid is not expected to be fully restored until at least midnight on June 25.
Experts explained that while climate change has intensified heatwaves, existing infrastructure was not designed to withstand such extreme temperatures, leading to the power failures.
France has been experiencing heatwaves with temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F) since June, which is not even the peak of summer.
Consequently, a shortage of cooling appliances is occurring across France.
Major retailer Carrefour sold approximately 30,000 fans and air conditioners on June 22 alone.
Sales of cooling appliances in France on Amazon, the world's largest e-commerce company, doubled last week compared to the same period last year.
Thierry, an electrician, described the situation on the ground, stating that requests for air conditioner installations are so overwhelming that they cannot keep up. He added, "Normally, installing an air conditioner in an apartment building requires approval from the residents' association, but residents now are so desperate that they cannot wait."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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