France restricted public drinking in “red alert” zones on Sunday, including Paris, as Fête de la musique kicked off and as a heat wave unfurled across parts of Europe. Emergency services and military forces were also put on wildfire alert with the government announcing unprecedented measures for Monday when half of France will be placed under red alert ahead of highs of 40 degrees Celsius.
France is putting emergency services and military forces on wildfire alert, restricting public alcohol consumption and canceling some outdoor sports events to cope with a heat wave unfurling across parts of Europe.
About a third of France is under the national weather service’s heat red alert Sunday and temperatures are high nationwide, and expected to reach 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Sunday in some areas, in a country where air-conditioning isn't widespread.
In a first, the red alert – France's highest heat warning – was issued across half the country for Monday, as temperatures under the fierce heatwave were expected to climb even further.
Thirty-five departments – roughly a third of the country – were under the highest heat alert on Sunday. On Monday, that number will grow to 49 departments, a new record, with another 40 under orange alert.
According to AFP estimates, more than 90 percent of France's population – more than 63 million people – will be affected by the heat on Monday.
"We are facing an episode that is particularly intense and unusually early," said Mathieu Lefèvre, the minister for ecological transition, urging a "great deal of caution".
President Emmanuel Macron on X urged French people to "look out for others", especially the elderly, children and isolated or vulnerable people.
Weather service Meteo-France warned that temperatures could reach as high as 41°C in some places on Sunday as France finds itself at the epicentre of a heat anomaly also affecting southern Britain, Spain and Portugal.
Fête de la musique, street parties
Despite the worsening heatwave France hosted the annual Fête de la musique (Music Day) on Sunday, when musicians take over streets as revellers celebrate the start of summer late into the night.
While some French cities have cancelled street events, celebrations in others – including Paris, Lyon and Strasbourg – were largely going ahead.
Read moreFrance issues 'red' heatwave alert as temperatures climb across Western Europe
The Louvre museum in Paris, though, announced that its planned free concert under its famous glass pyramid had been scrapped due to the heatwave.
To minimise health risks and prevent potential public disturbances, the government announced a ban on alcohol consumption in public places during the festivities in departments under red alert.
Some Parisians were in favour of the ban.
"I think it's a good thing," said Hailey Infante, 21.
"Honestly, it's really hot, and even a drop of alcohol can quickly go to your head."
Nicolas Pilc was more sceptical, saying the measure would have "absolutely no effect".
"Everyone will do whatever they want," said the 48-year-old.
Schools closed
The government said it would be up to local event organisers to adapt festivities outside red-alert areas but alcohol will not be served at state-organised events.
Bartender Mona Jaffart said her establishment would not be selling takeaway alcohol and it would "just be a normal day" inside.
Last year, around 2 million people attended the June 21 street music parties in Paris alone, many of them travelling from Britain.
To ensure public safety, authorities have deployed 4,800 police officers and gendarmes, along with 2,500 firefighters, in and around the capital.
Gatherings along the lower banks of the Seine river will be prohibited to reduce the risk of people falling into the water.
Read moreNew timetables, longer holidays: How can French schools adapt to heatwaves?
Officials warned about risks linked to swimming, after four teenagers drowned in France on Saturday.
The number of departments on red alert has reached a record high, surpassing the previous peak of 20 recorded on July 24-25, 2019.
On Monday, 845 French schools were to be closed because of the heat, while another 1,800 have modified classroom hours to adapt to the weather.
Thirteen of the 17 regions of neighbouring Spain were on orange alert on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France was on red alert.
The public screening of Spain's World Cup match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid was cancelled after national weather agency AEMET forecast temperatures could reach 40°C in the capital.
Portugal's weather agency placed three inland districts on orange alert, warning of temperatures of up to 42°C.
In Britain, the Met Office expanded its amber extreme heat warning for much of England for between Monday and Thursday, forecasting some places could reach 37°C or more.
Elderly, chronically ill most vulnerable
Authorities are notably worried about people living in the baking streets, and elderly people in nursing homes or isolated in their homes. About 15,000 older people died in a 2003 heat wave that became a reckoning for France.
The government announced Saturday reinforced wildfire readiness and ordered tightened surveillance of water supplies to France’s many nuclear reactors.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu convened a government heat crisis meeting on Saturday and planned another one on Sunday, in the face of what the national weather service called a “widespread, long-lasting and intense” hot spell.
Lecornu ordered government ministers to plan for better adapting France to heat waves in the future, including “via air conditioning, if necessary”.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and AFP)
