France Faces Third Heatwave, Major Attractions Adjust Hours
France is experiencing its third major heatwave since May, prompting early closures of iconic tourist sites in Paris. The Eiffel Tower will close at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, while the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay will also adjust their hours. A quarter of mainland France is under the highest red heat alert, affecting over 22 million people. Authorities expect temperatures to exceed 40 degrees Celsius, coinciding with a busy holiday travel weekend. The heatwave has led to over 8,000 fires this year, with 2,025 excess deaths reported from the June heatwave. Cooling centres have been opened for vulnerable residents, and 6,000 of 30,000 planned cooling units have been installed in healthcare facilities. EDF has reduced output by 4.4 gigawatts across five nuclear reactors due to high river temperatures impacting cooling water availability.
Published 9 hours ago • 11 Jul 2026, 06:45 PM IST