TEMPO.CO, Jakarta — France recorded its hottest day since weather records began in 1947 as a severe heat wave continued to grip large parts of Europe, forcing tourist attractions to shorten operating hours and prompting authorities to issue urgent health warnings.
The country's national weather agency, Meteo-France, reported that the average of daytime and nighttime temperatures across 30 monitoring stations reached 29.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, surpassing the previous record of 29.4 degrees Celsius set during heat waves in August 2003 and July 2019.
Several locations recorded temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, including the Atlantic coastal town of Pissos, where preliminary readings reached 44.3 degrees Celsius on Tuesday afternoon.
The record-breaking daytime temperatures came after what Meteo-France described as the hottest night ever recorded in France. The average overnight temperature from Monday into Tuesday reached 21.6 degrees Celsius across the country's monitoring network.
French authorities placed 54 administrative departments under the highest-level red heatwave alert, an unprecedented number since the warning system was introduced.
The extreme weather has already claimed lives. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said 40 people had drowned since the heat wave began on Thursday, many of them minors.
As reported by DW, the soaring temperatures have also disrupted operations at some of France's most popular tourist destinations. The Louvre Museum in Paris announced it would close two hours earlier than usual through Saturday, shutting its doors at 4 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. Some galleries may also be temporarily closed to protect artworks from heat-related damage.
The Eiffel Tower also reduced its operating hours. The landmark will close at 4 p.m. instead of midnight while temperatures in Paris hover around 36 degrees Celsius. Visitors holding tickets for the affected hours will receive automatic refunds, while prospective visitors have been advised to postpone their trips.
The heat wave has spread across several European countries, prompting Britain, France, Italy, and Spain to issue red alerts and health advisories. Italy has urged residents to avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight and strenuous outdoor activities, while Britain's Met Office has issued a rare red warning for extreme heat starting Wednesday.
According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the ongoing heat wave poses a serious threat to vulnerable populations, including elderly people, children, pregnant women, individuals with chronic illnesses, outdoor workers, and homeless people.
"The coming days pose serious health risks," Mary Friel, the IFRC's senior climate policy officer, said during a press conference in Geneva.
Friel warned that extreme temperatures could quickly become a matter of life and death for thousands of people if preventive measures are not taken. She also described climate change and increasingly frequent heat waves as one of the defining humanitarian challenges of modern times.
Authorities across Europe continue to urge residents and visitors to stay hydrated, avoid unnecessary outdoor activities during peak heat hours, and regularly check on vulnerable family members and neighbors as the region endures one of its most intense heat waves in recent years.
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