Eiffel Tower, Louvre shut early as deadly heatwave grips France; Muséum de Toulouse closes entirely after AC failure
The Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Château de Versailles have cut opening hours as temperatures hit 40°C, while the Muséum de Toulouse shut its doors to protect 2.5 million specimens.
Searing heat grips France and Belgium
France is enduring a historic heatwave, with Météo France placing between 54 and 58 departments under red alert. Temperatures soared to 40°C in Toulouse, 40°C in Lyon and 39°C at the normally temperate Mont-Saint-Michel, while Paris saw 37°C and could reach 41°C later in the week. The second Western European heatwave in less than a month is proving deadly, according to Italian news agency Adnkronos.
- Toulouse
- 40 °C
- Lyon
- 40 °C
- Mont-Saint-Michel
- 39 °C
- Paris
- 37 °C
- Paris (forecast high)
- 41 °C
Iconic Parisian landmarks cut hours
The Eiffel Tower closed at 16:00 on Tuesday 23 June instead of the usual 00:45, and the operator said it was “very likely” the monument would shut early again on Wednesday. The Louvre announced that from Wednesday to Saturday it will close at 16:00 rather than 18:00, citing the building’s fragility and lack of adaptation to climate change. The Arc de Triomphe limited visiting hours to 10:00–14:30 for the coming days.
The heat build-up is strongest at the end of the day, accentuated by visitor density.
Outside the capital, the Château de Versailles and its gardens will close at 16:30 at least until Friday, while the Château de Fontainebleau warned that certain rooms may be shut and some activities suspended.
- Cool rooms open in Paris arrondissement town halls and community centres.
- Eiffel Tower closes at 16:00; Mont-Saint-Michel advises visitors to postpone and cuts shuttle capacity.
- Louvre and Versailles begin early closures (until 27/6). Muséum de Toulouse shuts entirely until at least Thursday. Atomium reduces hours.
- Versailles early closure and Atomium reduced hours end.
- Louvre early closure last day.
Muséum de Toulouse shut after air conditioning failure
The Muséum d’histoire naturelle de Toulouse, home to 2.5 million specimens, closed on Tuesday evening after its air conditioning system broke down over the weekend. Sensors registered 34°C in several rooms, a level incompatible with public access and worrying for the collections. Staff placed survival blankets on windows and set up humidifiers, as low humidity threatens objects made of wood, leather, feathers, natural glues and metals. “It is still too early to measure the potential impact on the specimens, but we have not observed any worrying signs at this stage,” the collections manager told ICI Occitanie. The museum will remain shut at least until Thursday, with no reopening date set.
Mont-Saint-Michel and Atomium also affected
The Mont-Saint-Michel, France’s most visited site outside the Paris region, urged visitors to postpone their trips. Temperatures hit 39°C there on Tuesday. The site cut shuttle bus capacity for “passenger comfort”, mobilised the Red Cross and civil protection, and installed extra drinking water points.
We make sure people are covered with a cap or hat, and we encourage them to hydrate well and stay in the shade.
In Brussels, the Atomium announced it would only be open from 10:00 to 14:00 from Wednesday to Friday, with last entry at 13:30. Tickets remain valid until the end of 2026.
Climate refuges and city responses
While major sites closed or reduced access, several museums in Lyon (Musée des Beaux-Arts, Musée Gadagne, Musée d'Art Contemporain) and Nantes (Musée d'Arts de Nantes, Chronographe) offered free entry to serve as “climate refuges”. In Paris, cool rooms were opened in arrondissement town halls and community centres from Monday 22 June, operating from 8:00 to 15:00 daily until the heatwave ends.
