The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay closed their doors hours earlier than usual this weekend as a severe heatwave swept across France, placing nearly a quarter of the country under the highest red alert. The operator of the 324-metre iron tower announced it would shut at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, rather than after midnight, citing forecast temperatures. The Louvre closed at the same hour from Friday through Monday, while the Musée d’Orsay shut at 5 p.m. through Wednesday. According to Météo-France, the national weather service, 24 departments home to more than 22 million people were under the maximum warning level, with another 59 departments on orange alert.

French health authorities have linked the extreme conditions to a rise in fatalities. The health minister reported 2,025 excess deaths during a June heatwave and a further 300 in late May. Drownings have also increased, with 131 people losing their lives since 19 June, a rise of roughly 20 per cent on the same period last year, according to official data. Wildfires have consumed more than 25,000 hectares since the start of the year, nearly double the area burned by the same date in 2025, civil security officials said. In the Savoie region, two villages were isolated after a forest fire destroyed 60 hectares, though local authorities said the blaze had since stabilised.

Discrepancies emerged in the reported scale of the alert. While Météo-France placed 24 departments under red warning, some regional media cited a figure of 26 million people affected, based on national statistics institute data. Transport networks were strained as the heatwave coincided with the start of the summer holidays and the Bastille Day weekend. The state railway company SNCF maintained normal high-speed TGV services but cancelled one in three regional trains during the hottest hours, deploying replacement buses. Authorities urged drivers to exercise extra caution. Many towns cancelled traditional fireworks displays because of the fire risk, and the Paris police prefecture called off popular firefighters’ balls and outdoor sports events.

President Emmanuel Macron warned on social media that nine out of ten wildfires are caused by human activity, while police have detained 32 people suspected of arson since the beginning of summer. Scientists have repeatedly linked the increasing frequency and intensity of heatwaves to human-caused climate change. The government has faced criticism from public health experts and opposition figures over preparedness, particularly after excess mortality was recorded among those aged over 75. Cooling centres have been opened for vulnerable residents, and 6,000 of a planned 30,000 air-conditioning units have been installed in healthcare facilities. Météo-France expects the extreme heat to persist until at least the middle of next week.