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Photos show funerals in Lebanon for Hezbollah fighters, civilians killed before ceasefire

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Photos show funerals in Lebanon for Hezbollah fighters, civilians killed before ceasefire
News

News

Photos show funerals in Lebanon for Hezbollah fighters, civilians killed before ceasefire

2026-04-22 03:34 Last Updated At:03:42

KFAR SIR, Lebanon (AP) — Funerals in southern Lebanon are burying fighters from the militant Hezbollah group, Lebanese civilians and paramedics killed in Israeli strikes before the latest Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire took effect.

In villages like Kfar Sir, mourners gather in large processions, carrying coffins draped in flags and portraits of the dead. The scenes reflect both personal grief and the broader toll of the conflict, as families and communities bid farewell to those lost in the final days of fighting before the truce.

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Mourners carry the coffins of Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners carry the coffins of Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners kiss a coffin of a Hezbollah fighter, who was killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners kiss a coffin of a Hezbollah fighter, who was killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A semi transporting coffins that contain the remains of Hezbollah fighters who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, drives past the rubble of a destroyed building, as part of a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A semi transporting coffins that contain the remains of Hezbollah fighters who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, drives past the rubble of a destroyed building, as part of a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman, right, throws flowers over the coffins of Hezbollah fighters, who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman, right, throws flowers over the coffins of Hezbollah fighters, who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners raise their fists during the funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war with Israel, in Kfar Sir, southern Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners raise their fists during the funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war with Israel, in Kfar Sir, southern Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman places flowers on coffins of Hezbollah fighters who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman places flowers on coffins of Hezbollah fighters who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Coffins of Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel are carried on a truck past mourners during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Coffins of Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel are carried on a truck past mourners during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman mourns while holding a portrait of a Hezbollah fighter killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman mourns while holding a portrait of a Hezbollah fighter killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A girl mourns during a mass funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A girl mourns during a mass funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners grieve during a mass funeral procession of Hezbollah fighters who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners grieve during a mass funeral procession of Hezbollah fighters who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Women hold flowers during a mass funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war with Israel in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Women hold flowers during a mass funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war with Israel in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Hezbollah supporters hang portraits of Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes during their funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Hezbollah supporters hang portraits of Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes during their funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Hezbollah supporters hang portraits of fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes beside a large billboard depicting the war in the Middle East following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, ahead of a funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Hezbollah supporters hang portraits of fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes beside a large billboard depicting the war in the Middle East following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, ahead of a funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners pray on the coffins of Hezbollah fighters and civilians who were killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Mourners pray on the coffins of Hezbollah fighters and civilians who were killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A man mourns over the coffin of a Hezbollah fighter who was killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A man mourns over the coffin of a Hezbollah fighter who was killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Mourners and scouts carry the coffins of civilians who were killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Mourners and scouts carry the coffins of civilians who were killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A girl mourns over the coffin of a relative who was killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A girl mourns over the coffin of a relative who was killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Paramedics attach a portrait over the grave of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, at a temporary mass grave in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Paramedics attach a portrait over the grave of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, at a temporary mass grave in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Relatives of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, mourn during her funeral in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Relatives of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, mourn during her funeral in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Paramedics cover the body of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, with a Lebanese flag at a morgue in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Paramedics cover the body of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, with a Lebanese flag at a morgue in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Relatives of a Hezbollah fighter mourn on his grave at a cemetery where civilians and Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes are temporarily buried in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Relatives of a Hezbollah fighter mourn on his grave at a cemetery where civilians and Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes are temporarily buried in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Mourners gather over the body of Jawad Younes, 11, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during his funeral procession in Saksakieh village, south Lebanon, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Mourners gather over the body of Jawad Younes, 11, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during his funeral procession in Saksakieh village, south Lebanon, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

Mourners carry the coffins of Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners carry the coffins of Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners kiss a coffin of a Hezbollah fighter, who was killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners kiss a coffin of a Hezbollah fighter, who was killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A semi transporting coffins that contain the remains of Hezbollah fighters who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, drives past the rubble of a destroyed building, as part of a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A semi transporting coffins that contain the remains of Hezbollah fighters who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, drives past the rubble of a destroyed building, as part of a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman, right, throws flowers over the coffins of Hezbollah fighters, who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman, right, throws flowers over the coffins of Hezbollah fighters, who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners raise their fists during the funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war with Israel, in Kfar Sir, southern Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners raise their fists during the funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war with Israel, in Kfar Sir, southern Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman places flowers on coffins of Hezbollah fighters who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman places flowers on coffins of Hezbollah fighters who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Coffins of Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel are carried on a truck past mourners during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Coffins of Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel are carried on a truck past mourners during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman mourns while holding a portrait of a Hezbollah fighter killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A woman mourns while holding a portrait of a Hezbollah fighter killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A girl mourns during a mass funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

A girl mourns during a mass funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners grieve during a mass funeral procession of Hezbollah fighters who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners grieve during a mass funeral procession of Hezbollah fighters who were killed before the ceasefire in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Women hold flowers during a mass funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war with Israel in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Women hold flowers during a mass funeral procession for Hezbollah fighters killed before the ceasefire in the war with Israel in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Hezbollah supporters hang portraits of Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes during their funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Hezbollah supporters hang portraits of Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes during their funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Hezbollah supporters hang portraits of fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes beside a large billboard depicting the war in the Middle East following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, ahead of a funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Hezbollah supporters hang portraits of fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes beside a large billboard depicting the war in the Middle East following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, ahead of a funeral procession in the southern village of Kfar Sir, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Mourners pray on the coffins of Hezbollah fighters and civilians who were killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Mourners pray on the coffins of Hezbollah fighters and civilians who were killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A man mourns over the coffin of a Hezbollah fighter who was killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A man mourns over the coffin of a Hezbollah fighter who was killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Mourners and scouts carry the coffins of civilians who were killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Mourners and scouts carry the coffins of civilians who were killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A girl mourns over the coffin of a relative who was killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

A girl mourns over the coffin of a relative who was killed in the war between Hezbollah and Israel during a mass funeral in Bazouriyeh village, south Lebanon, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Paramedics attach a portrait over the grave of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, at a temporary mass grave in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Paramedics attach a portrait over the grave of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, at a temporary mass grave in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Relatives of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, mourn during her funeral in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Relatives of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, mourn during her funeral in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Paramedics cover the body of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, with a Lebanese flag at a morgue in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Paramedics cover the body of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, with a Lebanese flag at a morgue in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Relatives of a Hezbollah fighter mourn on his grave at a cemetery where civilians and Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes are temporarily buried in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Relatives of a Hezbollah fighter mourn on his grave at a cemetery where civilians and Hezbollah fighters killed in Israeli airstrikes are temporarily buried in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Mourners gather over the body of Jawad Younes, 11, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during his funeral procession in Saksakieh village, south Lebanon, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Mourners gather over the body of Jawad Younes, 11, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during his funeral procession in Saksakieh village, south Lebanon, Saturday, March 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

LONDON (AP) — Much of western Europe baked under a “heat dome” Wednesday as temperatures soared toward 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in places, and weather agencies warned that the extreme conditions could endanger lives across countries, many of which have limited air conditioning.

France recorded its hottest-ever day for the second day running. The Meteo France weather agency said the country's national thermal indicator — an average of temperatures measured at 30 weather stations — hit a new record of 30 C (86 F), the latest in a series of never-before-registered highs. The mercury surpassed 40 C (104 F) in some locations, including in Paris.

The French weather agency put three-quarters of the country under a red alert for extreme heat starting at midday Thursday until the same time Friday. The warning encompassed tens of millions of people. In the usually temperate Brittany region of northwest France, a heat-related equipment failure knocked out power to tens of thousands of households that had to endure without electric fans.

Meanwhile, the U.K. recorded its hottest June day, with 36 C (96.8 F) reported at Gosport and Wisley in southern England. The national weather forecaster issued a red alert for heat in much of central and southern England, as well as Wales.

Authorities warned people to take extra care when swimming in unsupervised areas, such as rivers or lakes, following the deaths of around 40 people in France over the past week.

In the U.K., which has a reputation for being gray and drizzly even in summer, the heat was particularly uncomfortable, not least because so much of the country's infrastructure, such as buildings and transportation systems, was built for cooler weather.

The heat dome — a stationary high-pressure system that traps heat and humidity — took shape at a time when human-caused climate change fuels increasingly extreme weather. The U.N. climate agency projects that the next five years will likely shatter more heat records.

“Heat waves are becoming more frequent, longer and hotter with climate change, as a direct result of the fossil fuels we are releasing as a society,” said Hayley Fowler, a professor at the Centre for Climate and Environmental Resilience at Newcastle University in the northeast of England. “We can expect to have to cope with more and more of these types of events in the years to come.”

More than 1,000 schools in England have closed due to the heat, and many train services have been canceled, with passengers being urged to avoid nonessential travel in areas covered by the warning.

The red heat warning was only the second issued by U.K. authorities following July 2022, when temperatures exceeded 40 C (104 F) for the first time. The temperature is set to fall short of 40 C on Wednesday but could breach that level — considered almost unimaginable not long ago — on Thursday.

“Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events," said Mark Sidaway, deputy chief forecaster for the Met Office, the U.K. weather agency. He said officials expected the effects to extend "beyond those who are normally more vulnerable to the heat.”

It's been so hot that male journalists covering the U.K.’s tradition-bound Parliament were allowed to remove their jackets Wednesday in the press gallery of the House of Commons.

In France, Italy and Spain, more than 100 million people were warned to be extra vigilant about the dangers of the heat wave.

With the mercury rising, many of France's major attractions, including the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre museum in Paris, have restricted visiting hours. Schools and transportation schedules were also upended.

Tens of thousands of homes in northwest France were without power after two electrical transformers in Brittany were taken out of service late Tuesday following an explosion apparently linked to the heat wave. Around 68,000 households were still affected by the power outage on Wednesday.

In Italy, 16 cities, including Rome, Milan, Florence and Turin, were under heat alerts. The “bollino rosso” signals that the risks are not restricted to the elderly.

Temperatures were predicted to climb toward 41 C (105 F) in Florence and 38 C (104 F) in Milan, while Rome and Naples were forecast to stay below 36 C (96.8 F).

In Vatican City, the faithful fanned themselves and huddled under umbrellas in St. Peter’s Square to attend Pope Leo XIV’s weekly audience.

“We did not feel any heat at all, only great love for the pope,” said Monica Ruiz, a 52-year-old pilgrim from Spain.

One remedy being touted came from soccer's World Cup, which is currently taking place in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The European Trade Union Confederation said employers should offer the same cooling breaks used at the World Cup and grant all workers paid breaks to help keep them safe in intense heat.

“Taking a break in high temperatures is a commonsense precaution, but too many employers are refusing to put these and other necessary measures in place or even discuss them with trade unions, leading to a rising number of avoidable deaths in European workplaces,” ETUC General Secretary Esther Lynch said.

Businesses across Europe have heeded that advice.

At a major building project spanning Paris’ busy ring road, construction workers have shifted to earlier hours. Managers at the site have introduced staggered schedules, with most workers now starting at 6 a.m. and finishing around 1 p.m.

“As soon as the sun comes out, the workers are really going to take time to take breaks every hour and cool down,” deputy site manager Travis Demarque said.

Associated Press writers Danica Kirka and Jill Lawless in London, Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Colleen Barry in Milan, Samuel Petrequin and Alexander Turnbull in Paris and Giada Zampano in Rome contributed to this report.

People cool off at the Piscina Romano as a heat wave is predicted across Italy, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

People cool off at the Piscina Romano as a heat wave is predicted across Italy, in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Tourists with an umbrella take a photo in Paris, as France is enduring a grueling heat wave with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena )

Tourists with an umbrella take a photo in Paris, as France is enduring a grueling heat wave with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena )

A man keeps his legs dry as he cycles through standing water in London, as a heat wave is predicted Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

A man keeps his legs dry as he cycles through standing water in London, as a heat wave is predicted Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

A drugstore sign shows the temperature 43 degrees Celsius (109,4 degrees Fahrenheit) in Rennes, western France, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeremias Gonzalez)

A drugstore sign shows the temperature 43 degrees Celsius (109,4 degrees Fahrenheit) in Rennes, western France, Monday, June 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeremias Gonzalez)

Parisians bath in the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, as the national weather service, Meteo France, placed 54 departments, about half the country, under a red heat wave alert, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena )

Parisians bath in the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, as the national weather service, Meteo France, placed 54 departments, about half the country, under a red heat wave alert, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena )

A man runs over a bridge in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

A man runs over a bridge in Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Faithful shelter for the hot sun as they wait for Pope Leo's XIV weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Faithful shelter for the hot sun as they wait for Pope Leo's XIV weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A faithful cools off as they wait for Pope Leo's XIV weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A faithful cools off as they wait for Pope Leo's XIV weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

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