PARIS — France's health ministry confirmed on Tuesday that the death toll from the prolonged European heatwave would rise further as temperatures eased across western Europe and violent storms moved in. Health authorities in Paris, Rome and Madrid issued updated weather warnings.

Météo-France lifted its highest red alert for several southern departments on Tuesday but maintained orange warnings for severe thunderstorms, hail and flash flooding as the heat dome retreated. Italy's health ministry kept red heat warnings in place for Rome, Florence and Bologna, where temperatures had approached 40C in recent days.

The heatwave, which the World Meteorological Organization linked to climate change, strained hospitals and emergency services across the continent. French authorities reported multiple heat-related deaths and several drownings of people seeking relief in rivers and lakes. Spain's Carlos III Health Institute estimated excess deaths attributable to the high temperatures in the hundreds.

Meteorologists at Météo-France and Italy's national civil protection agency warned that the transition from extreme heat to storms could itself prove dangerous, with sudden downpours raising the risk of urban flooding. Regional governments in France and Switzerland activated emergency response plans and urged residents to avoid travel during the most intense storm bands.

The European Commission's Copernicus Climate Change Service said the episode was consistent with a pattern of more frequent and intense heat events across the Mediterranean. A World Health Organization spokesperson said the agency was monitoring excess mortality data and would publish preliminary figures in the coming days.