Red heatwave alerts extended: Up to 41C forecast for millions in France

France's latest heatwave continues to grip much of the country, with 37 departments remaining under the highest red alert today (July 13), although conditions are expected to begin easing from the west overnight.

The most intense heat is now expected across central and eastern France, with temperatures again forecast to reach 38C to 41C in red-alert areas.

A further 39 departments are under orange heat alerts, with only parts of the Channel coast and Hauts-de-France largely escaping the worst of the conditions.

Night-time temperatures remain exceptionally high, with lows of 22C to 24C observed in the south-west and Loire Valley and temperatures of 23C in Paris overnight, offering little respite.

Around 26 million people (AFP calculation) live in the 37 departments under Météo-France's highest (red) heat alert.

The forecaster said "a mass of very hot air is stagnating over the country for several days", creating what it describes as a "durable, intense and widespread" heatwave.

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?

Relief is expected to begin gradually from Monday night in western France.

From 22:00 tonight (July 13), Météo-France is expected to downgrade 11 western departments from red to orange alert, leaving 26 departments under the highest heat warning on Tuesday.

Those returning to orange alert are Morbihan, Loire-Atlantique, Vendée, Ille-et-Vilaine, Mayenne, Maine-et-Loire, Deux-Sèvres, Vienne, Haute-Vienne, Creuse and Orne.

From Wednesday into Thursday, an Atlantic weather system is forecast to bring increasingly thundery and humid conditions, gradually pushing the hottest air eastwards.

A more noticeable fall in temperatures is expected from Thursday and especially Friday, when highs across much of western, northern and central France should return to around 23C to 27C. The south-east is expected to remain considerably hotter.

Forecasters caution, however, that the cooler spell may prove temporary, with another rise in temperatures possible early next week if high pressure quickly re-establishes itself.

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 would operate normally over the July 14 national holiday, although one in three Intercités trains would be cancelled during the hottest parts of the day and replaced by coaches where possible.

Separately, another wildfire between Paris and Tonnerre disrupted rail services on the Paris-Lyon high-speed corridor on Monday afternoon. Trains were diverted onto conventional lines, with delays of up to two hours reported on some services and SNCF warning further disruption until the fire was brought under control.

The prolonged heat is also contributing to a rise in drowning deaths as more people seek relief in rivers, lakes and other waterways.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 139 people have drowned since June 19, an 18% increase compared with the same period last year, urging people to swim only in supervised areas where possible.

Wildfire near Paris

The heat is also sharply increasing the risk of wildfires.

Mr Nuñez said 32,000 hectares have burned in France since the start of the year, already exceeding the total for the whole of 2025.

He added that firefighters dealt with 250 new fires on Sunday, including around 30 considered critical.

One of the largest blazes is burning in the Fontainebleau forest south-east of Paris, where more than 1,000 hectares have now burned.

More than 500 firefighters and two Canadair water bombers remain deployed. Around 900 people have been evacuated as a precaution, while several areas of the forest have been closed until July 15.

Mr Nuñez said the fire, which reportedly began at several ignition points, "could be of deliberate origin".

However, the Fontainebleau prosecutor said on Monday afternoon that, although there were "troubling elements" surrounding the start of the blaze, it was not yet possible to conclude that there had been human intervention.

He added that an investigation into destruction of woodland by fire is under way.

Nuclear reactors offline

France's nuclear power output has also been affected by the heat.

EDF said three reactors had been shut down on Sunday because high river temperatures limited the amount of warm cooling water that could be discharged while complying with environmental regulations. 

A further seven reactors are operating at reduced power.

France's nuclear safety regulator sets maximum water temperature limits to protect river ecosystems, meaning output at riverside plants is often reduced during prolonged heatwaves.