Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu called the situation "a tragic scourge of drownings" and said 40 people have died since June 18, most of them young. He said the government is preparing an emergency meeting as a wave of abnormal heat grips the country.
France’s national weather service, Météo
The heat forced several tourist sites in Paris to change hours. The Eiffel Tower closed early at 4 p.m. Tuesday and may do so again. The Louvre said it temporarily shortened opening hours because of overheating in the building and increased visitor numbers.
Early Tuesday, France’s national heat index reached a record 29.8°C (85.6°F), surpassing previous peaks in 2003 and 2019.
Authorities in Île
In the southwest, operators shut down the Golfech nuclear
reactor after river water used for cooling exceeded the permitted 28°C
(82.4°F).