France bans outdoor alcohol and closes 845 schools as extreme heatwave puts one-third of country on red alert

Red alert across France

About one-third of France was placed under a red heat alert on Sunday, with 35 of 96 departments under the highest warning level. Météo-France described the event as a heatwave of "exceptional severity and duration" that is likely to break monthly and possibly historical temperature records. In Paris the mercury hit 37°C, while Lyon and Bordeaux recorded 38°C. Several inland areas could approach 45°C, and Monday is expected to be even hotter, with some regions reaching 42°C or above.

Alcohol restrictions for Fête de la Musique

The nationwide Fête de la Musique, a summer solstice celebration drawing huge street audiences, became the focus of emergency restrictions. The government banned alcohol consumption in all public spaces within the 35 red-alert departments. In Paris, a police order prohibited consumption of hard alcohol from 8 a.m. along parts of the Canal Saint-Martin and the Seine riverbanks (including the Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis). From 1 p.m. the takeaway sale of the same drinks was also banned in the canal area. Culture minister Catherine Pégard called for "extreme vigilance" and said local authorities should decide whether events could go ahead with precautions; most chose to proceed but imposed limits.

“Extreme vigilance.”

School closures and emergency measures

Education minister Édouard Geffray announced that 845 schools and middle schools would remain closed on Monday, meaning they would not receive pupils or provide minimum service. Dozens of train services were cancelled and emergency services were reinforced. The Eiffel Tower and other popular sites installed water misting stations to cool visitors, and nuclear reactor cooling water reserves were placed under heightened monitoring. Outdoor sports events were cancelled in several areas.

“Tomorrow, 845 schools and middle schools will remain closed in France, meaning they will not receive pupils or will provide a minimum service.”

Heatwave spreads across Europe

The heat dome, fed by an African anticyclone nicknamed Cerberus, pushed temperatures to record levels elsewhere. Germany's DWD weather service issued heat warnings for most of the country, with highs of 38°C, and warned that the combination of heat and humidity could trigger severe storms. In Italy tourists queued in searing heat outside the Colosseum in Rome and cooled down at the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna. Spain closed a fan zone with giant screens in Madrid's Plaza de Colón where supporters had been expected to watch the World Cup match against Saudi Arabia.

Health risks and climate context

The World Health Organization's European office says more than 200,000 people in Europe have died from heat-related causes over the past four years, and most of those deaths could have been prevented. French authorities are haunted by the deadly 2003 heatwave that killed 15,000 people and are particularly concerned about homeless people, the elderly, and those living alone. The health ministry warned that alcohol worsens dehydration and impairs the body's ability to regulate temperature, raising the risk of heatstroke.

“More than 200,000 people in Europe have lost their lives from heat-related causes in the last four years, and most of those losses could have been avoided.”