France has recorded its hottest day of the year as a severe heatwave, which has gripped western Europe for much of July, begins to shift eastward. Temperatures in the southern city of Nîmes reached 42.4°C on Tuesday afternoon, surpassing the previous 2024 high of 41.2°C set in Toulouse last week. The national weather service, Météo-France, has placed 15 départements on red alert and a further 35 on orange alert, as the heatwave shows no immediate sign of abating.
In a move that has surprised many, the Paris city council has announced a ban on the sale of takeaway alcohol in the capital from Thursday until Sunday. The measure applies to all shops, supermarkets, and petrol stations, though restaurants and bars will be permitted to serve alcohol on their premises. The decision, officials said, was taken to prevent public drunkenness and disorder as the city swelters under temperatures expected to exceed 38°C. Critics, however, have described the ban as a disproportionate response that will disproportionately affect British tourists, who are a significant presence in the city during the summer months. The ban is the first of its kind during a heatwave in France, and follows similar restrictions imposed in some southern European cities during previous extreme weather events.
The heatwave has already claimed a number of lives across Europe, with health authorities in Italy, Spain, and Greece reporting a rise in heat-related fatalities. In France, the health ministry has recorded 23 deaths attributable to the heatwave since July 1, most among the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions. The ministry has urged all vulnerable people to stay indoors during the hottest parts of the day and to remain hydrated.
As the heatwave shifts east, meteorologists expect temperatures to rise further in the Balkans and Central Europe over the coming days. Serbia, Croatia, and Hungary are set to endure highs of up to 40°C, prompting local governments to issue warnings and open cooling centres. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts has predicted that the heatwave will persist into early August, before a possible cold front moves in from the Atlantic.
The broader context of this heatwave is a summer of climate extremes across the continent. June was the hottest on record for Europe, with temperatures 2.3°C above the 1991-2020 average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Wildfires, exacerbated by dry conditions, have scorched more than 200,000 hectares of land in Greece, Spain, and Portugal this year, a trend that scientists attribute to human-induced climate change.
For British holidaymakers, the Paris alcohol ban is a practical inconvenience, but it also reflects a growing tension between the French capital's push for urban order and the laissez-faire attitudes that have long attracted visitors from across the Channel. The British Embassy in Paris has advised travellers to respect the ban and to be aware of the risks posed by the heatwave. Meanwhile, London has issued its own health warnings, as the UK braces for a possible spillover of the heatwave next week.
The situation remains fluid. The French government has mobilised emergency services and urged local authorities to ensure vulnerable populations are protected. As the heatwave continues its eastward march, the focus now shifts to the capacity of national health systems, many already strained by summer tourism, to cope with the extreme temperatures.
