Three dead in Gironde as France declares red heatwave alert; 845 schools to close on Monday

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.

“Today, we sadly deplore three deaths of elderly people in Gironde, aged between 80 and 95, which rescuers currently attribute to this 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.

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.

“We would have liked the minister to have the courage to say: we close tomorrow.”

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.

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.

“Someone who drinks alcohol in public spaces will face a fine.”

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.

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.