European shoppers strip shelves bare of portable air conditioners amid intense heat; The French remember "People went MENTALLY" | Video

As temperatures rise across Europe, people desperate to escape the heat wave have hit French shops to buy fans and air conditioners. Several videos circulating on social media showed chaotic scenes at the store in Chambray-lès-Tours, with dozens of shoppers queuing outside before rushing through the entrance as the security shutter went up, The Sun reported. The footage shows customers pushing over each other, pushing their way through the crowd and scrambling to grab portable air conditioners and fans from the shelves.

The rush to buy cooling equipment intensified as temperatures continued to break records across Western Europe. Within moments of shoppers entering the store, the racks of portable air conditioners and fans were almost completely cleared.

The surge in demand comes as France, Spain and several neighboring countries battle an intense heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) in several regions.

The heat wave is deadly across Europe

A prolonged period of extreme heat claimed lives across the continent.

In a post on X, French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari said at least 55 people had drowned in France as many residents headed to rivers, lakes and other bodies of water to escape the scorching weather.

One of the most tragic incidents involved a three-year-old boy in Saint-Gratien, near Paris. Authorities said the child entered the family’s parked car after his father asked him to take a nap. The vehicle’s child restraint system reportedly activated and trapped him inside while outside temperatures exceeded 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

The boy was found about 45 minutes later, but paramedics were unable to save him.

Paris introduces alcohol restrictions as hospitals face pressure

The unrelenting heat has put enormous pressure on the French health system, leading authorities in Paris to impose temporary restrictions on the sale and consumption of alcohol to help limit heat-related emergencies.

“We are reaching the point of saturation of hospital facilities,” Paris police chief Patrice Faure said Thursday.

Officials banned drinking in public from noon Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday, with the same restrictions continuing Saturday through Sunday. Takeaway sales of alcohol will also be banned from 6pm on Friday, although bars and restaurants are exempt from the order.

Schools, tourism and livestock affected

Adverse weather disrupted daily life across Europe. In France, more than 8,000 schools were affected, several tourist attractions temporarily closed their doors and there were reports of livestock deaths.

In Spain, local authorities have reported at least 212 deaths related to the ongoing heat wave.