Published on 6/25/2026
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Last update: 19:48 (Mecca time)
France is witnessing an exceptional heat wave described as historic, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees in several cities and regions, prompting the authorities to close many schools and tourist attractions and reduce working hours in specific sectors, in a scene that brings to mind the deadly heat wave of 2003.
French Health Minister Stephanie Rest announced a financial package worth 600 million euros (about 648 million dollars) to help hospitals adapt to climate change, noting that 40% of hospitals rebuilt since 2003 took into account these challenges related to heat waves.
The minister stated – during a press conference broadcast on Al Jazeera Live – that the health precaution plan could be activated at any time, especially at the “third level” of it, as local measures were not sufficient to confront the repercussions of the heat.
The Minister warned that the age groups between 45 and 50 years are the most likely to go to emergency rooms due to the effects of heat, and pointed out that young people are also vulnerable to risks, especially when engaging in outdoor activities at high temperatures.
In the same context, officials raised the state of civil defense alert for fear of fires breaking out in forests and agricultural crops due to the drought accompanying the heat wave, which prompted the government to form a crisis management cell that includes the relevant ministries and experts, with full coordination to ensure the protection of the health system and infrastructure.
The atmosphere changed
Correspondent Hafez Mrebih said in a report he prepared for Al Jazeera that the weather no longer resembles that of Europe, and that the temperature in some cities reached 41 degrees, with the absence of air conditioning in most homes and the high population density in major cities, which made life unbearable and forced families to search for alternative solutions, quoting one citizen as saying that the heat has become dangerous and requires caution.
Meribah pointed out that many schools in Paris were empty of students, after the authorities requested that children be kept at home as much as possible, given that most educational institutions were not prepared to face heat waves, which prompted teaching staff to use the “coldest” buildings to receive students.
In the same context, working hours at major tourist attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum were stopped or reduced, while citizens took refuge in air-conditioned places to escape the unbearable heat, which was pointed out by Mribeh, who indicated that the government had formed a cell to manage the crisis, deal with the situation, and protect vulnerable groups, especially the elderly.
Countries in Europe recorded a number of casualties as a result of the severe heat wave they are facing, as at least 212 people died in Spain, and it also claimed the lives of dozens of people, including 3 children, in France, this week.
According to Agence France-Presse, at least 101 million people in Europe, including more than 50 million in France and 18 million in Germany, are expected to witness temperatures exceeding 35 degrees today, Thursday.
Data showed that there were more than 212 deaths recorded between last Sunday and Wednesday, which could be linked to the heat wave hitting Spain, according to the Carlos III Health Institute in Madrid.
These estimates are based on a system that collects the numbers of daily deaths in Spain, and calculates the differences between them and expected deaths based on historical data.
