Heat Dome Breaks 52 Temperature Records Across France, Forces Nuclear Plant Shutdown

France experienced an intense heatwave on August 11, 2025, with at least 52 all-time high temperature records broken and over 175 weather stations recording temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F). Southwestern France, including cities like Bordeaux, Bergerac, and Angoulême, saw extreme temperatures reaching as high as 43.1°C (109.6°F), prompting 12 departments to be placed on red alert and 41 on orange alert. The heatwave was driven by a persistent heat dome, a large ridge of high pressure causing widespread and severe heat conditions across the country. Additionally, the Gravelines nuclear power plant in northern France had to shut down all its operating reactors due to a jellyfish swarm clogging its cooling system, a situation linked to unusually warm sea surface temperatures caused by the heatwave. Authorities urged residents to stay hydrated, avoid outdoor activities during peak heat, and check on vulnerable populations as the heatwave is expected to persist until at least August 15. This extreme weather event is part of a broader pattern of increasing heatwaves in Europe, which experts associate with climate change and local amplifying factors.