Paris heatwave: Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Orsay close early as France’s third heatwave since May brings 36°C weekend

Landmarks shutter early

The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay will all close hours earlier than normal this weekend as a late-spring heatwave settles over Paris. The operator of the Eiffel Tower announced that the 324-metre monument would close at 4pm on Saturday and Sunday, with the last entry set at 12:15pm. Usually, during the summer high season, the tower stays open until 0:45am and draws roughly seven million visitors a year, around three-quarters of them from abroad.

Due to the high temperatures forecast.

The Louvre, the world’s most visited museum, will also shut its doors at 4pm, a schedule that runs from Friday through Monday inclusive, with last admission at 2pm. The Musée d’Orsay is following suit: the museum will close at 5pm every day from Saturday until Wednesday. The three landmarks sit in a city where temperatures are forecast to reach 36°C over the weekend, according to Météo-France.

Nationwide red alert

Twenty-four departments in central and western France, home to 22.2 million people, were placed under the highest heat warning level on Saturday. Another 59 of the country’s 96 mainland departments were under the second-highest orange alert. Météo-France called for “absolute vigilance” as the heatwave, the third since May, settled across a quarter of the country.

Absolute vigilance.

The current hot spell follows a June heatwave that broke records and a late-May episode that also brought elevated temperatures. While the immediate focus is on this weekend, the national weather service cautioned that the heat will persist through the Bastille Day holiday on 14 July.

Transport and holiday disruptions

The French railway operator SNCF assured travellers that TGV services would run “normally” over the weekend, with 3,700 high-speed trains scheduled. Still, during the hottest hours of the day, every third Intercity connection will be cancelled to reduce strain on the network. The cancellations coincide with the start of the summer holiday period and the approach of the national public holiday on 14 July.

Meanwhile, the Paris police prefect cancelled the traditional firemen’s balls scheduled for the nights of 13 and 14 July, along with open-air sports events and any events held in non-air-conditioned venues. Across France, many towns have called off their Bastille Day fireworks displays, citing heightened fire danger and parched conditions.

Fire danger and presidential warning

Wildfires have already scorched twice as much land in France so far this year as in the same period last year, officials said. President Emmanuel Macron used social media to urge caution, emphasising that nine out of ten fires are started by human activity.

A single second of inattention can put families at risk, endanger those who protect us and destroy our countryside.

The June heatwave caused 2,025 excess deaths in France, while the May episode was linked to 300 excess deaths, health authorities reported.

City opens cooled spaces

Paris City Hall said it was “strengthening its protection measures” by opening additional cooled public rooms, authorising misters on open terraces and keeping parks and gardens accessible at night. The city also deployed air-conditioning units in all 315 leisure centres that are operating during the school holidays.