France heatwave: Schools close and forests restricted as red alert hits Sarthe and Brittany

A severe heatwave has placed the departments of Sarthe and Ille-et-Vilaine under red alert, with temperatures reaching 41.5°C in Rennes and over 40°C in Le Mans on Monday. The prefect of Sarthe, Sébastien Jallet, described the episode as exceptional in intensity and duration, warning of serious health risks. Several municipalities have activated emergency heat plans.

In response, school schedules have been heavily modified. Public schools in Montval-sur-Loir are closed entirely until Friday 26 June, while those in Saint-Brieuc will only open in the mornings without mandatory attendance, closing in the afternoons. One school in Saint-Brieuc, built of prefabricated structures, will be completely shut. In Voivres-lès-le-Mans, classes end in the early afternoon. At Val-de-la-Hune, schools have installed fans and covered windows with aluminium foil to reduce heat, supplying water throughout the day.

Forest access across Sarthe is prohibited from noon to midnight, from Tuesday 23 June to Friday 26 June, due to severe wildfire risk. Barbecues, campfires, and fireworks within 200 metres of wooded areas are also banned. Outdoor sports competitions are cancelled for the duration of the red alert, and the prefect recommends postponing all outdoor training and events. Restrictions on noise have been temporarily lifted to allow construction workers to shift to earlier hours, though outdoor work is strongly discouraged between 1pm and 9pm.

In Saint-Brieuc, the city has activated its plan bleu for care homes, increasing hydration rounds and keeping residents in cooled rooms. A registry for isolated elderly and vulnerable individuals has been opened, with 140 people already signed up to receive check-in calls.