"Too Hot to Be Safe"... France Recommends School Closures and Remote Work as Temperatures Exceed 40 Degrees

Inter-Ministerial Crisis Response Meeting Held...
Various Measures Implemented
Record High Temperature of 46.2 Degrees Set in Spain

Heatwave alerts have been issued for 84 out of 96 regions in mainland France. The French meteorological agency has predicted that extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, will persist through the middle of this week.

According to Yonhap News on July 1, the alert level was raised from orange to red in 16 regions nationwide, including Paris and the greater metropolitan area. The French government convened an inter-ministerial crisis response meeting at the Ministry of the Interior the previous evening and implemented various measures. The Ministry of Labor urged companies to protect their employees, requesting adjustments to working hours such as suspending intensive labor during vulnerable periods.

Tourists with parasols at Trocadero Square near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Photo by AFP Yonhap News.

The Ministry of Education also reiterated the need for schools to take action against the heatwave. Of the 45,000 public schools in France, about 200 will be fully or partially closed from July 1 through July 2.

The Paris Police Prefecture has noted that high temperatures and strong sunlight are expected to increase ozone levels. Authorities have advised citizens to limit vehicle use as much as possible and to make use of remote work options.

This "heat dome" event has reportedly swept across Southern Europe, from Italy to Spain and Portugal. The Spanish meteorological agency announced that in Spain, the temperature in Huelva, Andalusia, soared to 46.2 degrees Celsius on the afternoon of June 28, setting a new June record. The previous June high was 45.2 degrees, recorded in Seville in 1965.

AFP reported that Spain's Ministry of the Interior emphasized the impact of high temperatures on gender-based violence and ordered police to strengthen protective measures for women.

In Venice, Italy, free guided tours of air-conditioned museums are being offered to residents aged 75 and older. In Rome, swimming pools are open free of charge to those aged 70 and above, and in Ancona, dehumidifiers are being distributed to residents in need.