French footballer drowns in Rhone River amid extreme heatwave

A promising 21-year-old French footballer has tragically died after drowning in the Rhone River, amid the severe heatwave currently gripping the nation.

Kenzo Kies, who played for the Guingamp reserve team, was pulled from the water earlier this week. Both Guingamp and Saint-Etienne, where he spent seven years in their academy system, issued tributes following his death on Wednesday.

His death comes as France endures an unprecedented heatwave, with the country recording its hottest ever day for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.

The national thermal indicator, an average of temperatures across 30 weather stations, reached a new high of 30C (86F), with some areas, including Paris, exceeding 40C (104F).

Authorities have reported at least 40 drowning fatalities in the past week alone, as people seek respite from the extreme temperatures in rivers and other bodies of water.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu noted on Tuesday that most of these tragic incidents involved young people, despite repeated warnings against unsupervised swimming.

According to French media reports, Mr Kies was rescued from a prohibited swimming area near Lyon on Monday in critical condition, having drowned in the Rhone River. He was subsequently declared brain dead.

The heatwave has also affected other areas of Europe, with the UK announcing that Wednesday was its hottest June day on record, which has stood since 1976.

The record broke four times on Wednesday, with 36.1C being recorded in Gosport, Hampshire, the Met Office said.

This came after 36C was recorded in Gosport and also in Wisley, Surrey.

Meanwhile, 35.8C was recorded in Wiggonholt, West Sussex, and 35.7C in Charlwood, Surrey.

This unprecedented heat surpasses the previous record of 35.6C, which had stood since 1976 and 1957.

The extreme heat caused several horse racing meets to be abandoned on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Formula One chiefs have issued a heat hazard ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix.

Race Director Rui Marques confirmed that the official weather service is forecasting temperatures exceeding 31C.

The declaration mandates that teams install a driver cooling system, such as a liquid-cooled vest, although drivers are not compelled to use them and may opt for a ballast penalty instead.