France has shut down schools and issued red heat alerts across half its territory as a brutal heatwave tightens its grip on Europe. The UK Met Office, in a rare move, has issued a travel warning for Britons heading to the continent, citing 'extreme risk' to health. Sources confirm temperatures are forecast to hit 42°C in parts of southern France, potentially breaking all-time records.
The French education ministry ordered closures of schools and nurseries in 19 departments, with officials warning the elderly and vulnerable to stay indoors. 'This is not a drill,' a ministry spokesperson said. 'We are facing an event unprecedented in its intensity and timing.
' The red alert, the highest level, now covers a swathe from the Spanish border to the Mediterranean coast. Hospitals are on standby, with emergency services reporting a surge in heatstroke cases. The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice, urging holidaymakers to avoid peak sun hours and carry water.
The Met Office's travel warning, issued jointly with the Health Security Agency, notes that even healthy individuals are at risk. 'We are seeing a pattern where extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and more severe,' a Met Office source said. 'This is a clear sign of climate change.
' The heatwave, fuelled by a high-pressure system over the Alps, is forecast to shift northwards, bringing temperatures in the UK to 30°C by midweek. But the real danger, officials say, is in France. Local authorities in cities like Lyon and Marseille have opened cooling centres and extended park hours.
Paris, while not on red alert, has activated its heat plan, spraying water at metro entrances. The French national railway, SNCF, has warned of delays due to track buckling. The story is not just about the weather.
It is about a government scrambling to protect its citizens from a crisis that its own climate policies have failed to avert. France's energy transition has been slow, and its reliance on nuclear power has come under scrutiny. But for now, the immediate threat is the heat.
The school closures, which affect over 200,000 students, are a blunt instrument. They disrupt learning, but officials argue they save lives. The red alerts are expected to remain in place until at least Friday.
The UK Met Office's warning is a stark reminder that no country is immune. 'Britons abroad need to take this seriously,' a Foreign Office official said. 'This is not a holiday under normal circumstances.
' The heatwave is a testament to the unaccountable power of nature and the failure of governments to prepare. The bodies will not pile up in the streets, but the death toll will be measured in the days and weeks after the temperature drops. This is the new normal.