Red heatwave alerts extended: Up to 41C forecast for millions in France
Heat to be ‘durable, intense and widespread’ says state weather service
France's latest heatwave is set to intensify before any relief arrives, with red alerts extended to 37 departments and temperatures expected to reach up to 41C.
Today Sunday July 12 is forecast to be the hottest day, with temperatures of 38C to 41C expected in red-alert areas. The red alerts will continue on Monday with almost all of the rest of mainland France under orange heightened alerts.
Only the Channel coast and Hauts-de-France are expected to remain below 35C.
Night-time temperatures will also remain high, with lows of 23C to 26C offering little respite.
Around 26 million people (AFP calculation) live in the 37 departments under Météo-France's highest (red) heat alert from midday on July 12, as what the forecaster describes as a "durable, intense and widespread" heatwave continues across much of the country.
The heatwave is being driven by a mass of hot, dry air from North Africa that is expected to remain over France until an Atlantic weather system begins pushing it east later this week.
When will it start to cool?
The intense heat is expected to persist until at least Wednesday (July 15), before a gradual easing from Thursday as stormy weather arrives.
From Wednesday, an Atlantic weather system is expected to bring increasingly thundery and humid conditions, slowly pushing the heat eastwards.
However, before daytime temperatures fall noticeably, Météo-France says the muggy air and heat could result in “tropical” conditions.
Closures and disruption
In Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay have all reduced opening hours. The Louvre said parts of the historic palace no longer guarantee "the comfort of visitors or staff" and acknowledged the building is "not sufficiently adapted to climate change".
SNCF said TGV services will operate normally over the July 14 national holiday, but one in three Intercités trains will be cancelled during the hottest parts of the day and replaced by coaches where possible.
The heat is also sharply increasing wildfire risks. Météo-France has warned of an "exceptional" nationwide forest fire danger after more than 25,000 hectares have burned since the start of the year, nearly double the area burned by the same point in 2025.
