Three dead in Gironde as France declares red heatwave alert; 845 schools to close on Monday
Three elderly people died in Gironde on Sunday with temperatures forecast to reach 43°C, as 49 departments are placed under red alert and hundreds of schools announce closures.
Three heat-related deaths in Gironde
On Sunday 21 June, préfète Sophie Brocas announced that three people aged between 80 and 95 had died in the Gironde department, with emergency services attributing the deaths to the ongoing heatwave.
The victims, one woman and two men, died at their homes in the suburbs of Bordeaux. Météo-France warned temperatures could near 43°C from Monday to Wednesday and that the severity of the current episode could approach the August 2003 heatwave, which killed nearly 15,000 people.Today, we sadly deplore three deaths of elderly people in Gironde, aged between 80 and 95, which rescuers currently attribute to this heatwave.
Nationwide school closures
Education minister Édouard Geffray said 845 primary and middle schools would be closed on Monday 22 June, and 1,800 would operate with adjusted hours, as 49 departments were placed under a red heatwave alert. Some local authorities went further, with mayors closing schools independently.
Thierry Pajot, president of the S2DÉ school directors' union, predicted that over a thousand establishments would ultimately shut. The government noted it had already financed 6,200 insulation or renovation projects for 24 million square metres, backed by €3 billion in state support to local authorities.We would have liked the minister to have the courage to say: we close tomorrow.
Music festival under reinforced security
The Fête de la Musique went ahead in many cities despite temperatures of 37°C. In Paris, 5,000 police and gendarmes were deployed, with alcohol consumption banned on public roads.
The Paris police chief reported a 20% rise in firefighter interventions by 17:30 compared with a typical Sunday. In Rennes, the Red Cross set up three first-aid posts in the city centre to relieve pressure on hospital emergency departments. In La Ferté-Bernard, hundreds braved the heat to celebrate, while nearby Mamers cancelled its event.Someone who drinks alcohol in public spaces will face a fine.
Heatwave peaks and alerts
Météo-France maintained red alerts across 49 departments into the week. In Loire-Atlantique, temperatures were forecast to hit 40.1°C on Monday and 40.7°C on Tuesday. Sports events were banned for the duration of the red alert, and parents were urged to keep children at home where possible.
- Météo-France places Gironde and Loire-Atlantique under red heatwave alert
- Three elderly residents die in Gironde; rescue services attribute deaths to heatwave
- Paris firefighters report 20% increase in interventions
- Minister announces 845 schools closed and 1,800 on adjusted hours for 22 June
- 49 departments under red alert; temperatures forecast to approach 43°C
