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Paris landmarks shut early
France’s heatwave forced the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre to close early in Paris, with the Eiffel Tower set to “exceptionally close” at 4 pm on Tuesday.
“the site would close early due to the heatwave”
The Eiffel Tower operator said it was “very likely” the monument would shorten opening hours again on Wednesday, while the Louvre management said the museum would close two hours early at 4 pm from Wednesday to Saturday.
The Eiffel Tower is described as a 324-metre (1,063-foot) tower that “attracts seven million tourists a year,” and the Louvre is described as the world’s most visited museum with around nine million visitors a year.
Tourists in Paris said their plans were disrupted, including Spanish nurse Maite Blazques, who said, “We had to change our whole trip,” after the record heat forced her to reorganise without going inside key landmarks.
Deaths and drowning warnings
In parallel with the tourism disruptions, Al Jazeera reported that at least 40 people drowned in France while swimming in unsupervised areas to seek relief from the heatwave.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said the death toll since Thursday was mainly young people and called the fatalities a “tragic scourge,” while Sports Minister Marina Ferrari told France Inter radio that “to go swimming in unauthorised areas during a heatwave is not something to take lightly”.
Meteo France forecaster figures cited by Al Jazeera said temperatures reached 43 degrees Celsius in Les Herbiers in the southwest of the country on Tuesday.
Al Jazeera also reported that the national weather service placed 54 areas of France under a red heatwave alert while schools closed early or adjusted timetables to protect students.
Heatwave strain across Europe
The heatwave’s reach extended beyond France, with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warning that the next few days posed “serious health risks” for Europe.
“the next few days posed "serious health risks" for Europe”
Al Jazeera quoted Mary Friel, the IFRC’s senior climate policy officer, saying, “For thousands of people across Europe, extreme temperatures, without action, can quickly become a matter of life and death,” during a press conference in Geneva.
In Britain, the Al Jazeera report said the Met Office warned on Monday that a four-day heatwave could push temperatures above 39C (102F) in parts of the country, easily breaking the June records of 35.6C (96F) set in 1957 and 1976.
Al Jazeera also described the heat as driven by an “Omega block” weather pattern, with Clair Barnes of Imperial College telling Reuters that it was “very slow moving, and it means there is no wind, no breeze for respite,” leaving little relief.
