Published on 6/18/2026
A 30-year-old man died outside an athletics track in the capital, Paris, on Thursday, at a time when a new heat wave is sweeping most of France, causing disruptions in the transportation sector and widespread changes in school timetables.
Although the summer has not officially begun yet, this wave is the second to hit the country during 2026, after days in which half of the country’s regions witnessed record temperatures last month.
Firefighters reported that the man died on Thursday morning in the Ermont suburb, north of Paris, after suffering a heart attack, and attempts to save him failed.
Alerts and official warnings
The French authorities announced the “orange” warning level – the second highest level – in a quarter of the country, including the capital, Paris, with official calls for residents to exercise “extreme caution.” This warning is expected to extend to more than half of the country by tomorrow, Friday.
For its part, the National Meteorological Authority, Meteo France, warned that this heat wave will be “widespread, intense and long-lasting,” as it is expected to continue throughout next week, reaching its peak on Sunday or Monday, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in the capital and other areas.
Experts fear that the summer solstice on Sunday, the longest day of the year, will exacerbate the situation due to long hours of sunlight.
On the education front, many schools announced the modification of school hours as of Thursday afternoon, while the mayors of several cities – whose schools still lack the necessary equipment to confront the heat – are considering the option of suspending studies completely.
In the city of Tours in the Loire Valley, Mayor Emmanuel Denis confirmed that he would not hesitate to close 58 educational institutions if the temperature reached 40 degrees Celsius.
In terms of transportation, the French railway company SNCF announced the cancellation of 71 long-distance train trips between today, Thursday and next Monday, with the aim of “avoiding possible malfunctions in air conditioning equipment due to very high temperatures.”
This atmosphere brings to mind the repercussions of the heat wave that struck the country in June of last year, which then led to the closure of about 2,200 schools throughout France.
The escalation of these climate phenomena comes at a time when scientists are warning that heat waves on the European continent are becoming more frequent and severe as a result of global climate changes.
