“That fan is life or death.” Chaos erupts in French supermarkets as people battle for air-conditioning units and fans ahead of this weekend’s heatwave. The carnage began after Lidl promised to put out 200,000 fans and air conditioners on its shelves on Thursday, prompting customers to queue outside stores before dawn in preparation. Video circulating online shows hundreds of desperate shoppers flocking to stores, screaming and fighting in a bid to get their hands on the machines before expected temperatures of up to 37°C. Police were reportedly forced to intervene as scenes quickly became violent. Public Health France recorded a surge in deaths during last week’s heatwave, which hit most of Europe with temperatures that soared above 40°C in many places. Last Wednesday, France registered its hottest-ever day, breaking a record that had been set just the previous day. Despite the promise of plentiful devices from Lidl, customers were angered by finding a shortage of stock - with many leaving empty-handed. In Saint-Germain-en-Laye in Yvelines, shelves were apparently emptied in minutes, with only a few dozen fans available for customers and no air conditioners. “It's ridiculous, people have gone completely mad”, a resident of Carrières-sous-Poissy, told Le Parisien. A similar situation unfolded in Orgeval, also in the Yvelines department, north-central France. People reacted to the supermarket scenes on social media, with one user saying, “Its not ‘just a fan’… that fan is life or death”. Another said, “Good God, poor France”. #France #heatwave #Lidl - @c5news