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France Faces Second Heat Wave of Month With Temperatures Up to 43 C
Temperatures across France are forecast to reach 43 degrees Celsius this week. Residents without air conditioning seek relief at beaches and public spaces while politicians debate cooling measures. At least 40 drownings have occurred in unsupervised swimming areas.
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Temperatures across France are expected to reach up to 43 degrees Celsius during the week of June 23-24, 2026, csmonitor.com reported. Paris readings match those recorded in Delhi, Doha, and the Mojave Desert. Most homes, hospitals, schools, office buildings, and cafés lack air conditioning.
Colette Davidson traveled by train to Trouville-sur-Mer on June 23 seeking cooler air. Daytime heat there remained high enough that beachgoers waited until after dark to enter the water. She spent the night splashing water on her face every two hours.
This marks the second weeklong heat wave in France in the past month. A similar prolonged event in June and July 2025 produced an estimated 480 heat-related deaths. Upper-floor Paris apartments reached 95 F this week.
French finance minister Roland Lescure said air conditioning is the best way to manage the situation but is expensive. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen called for widespread installation. Marine Tondelier of the Ecologistes party stated that air conditioning is not a taboo but also not the answer to everything.
The eastern town of Vénissieux installed 150 ceiling fans in public buildings ahead of the heat. At least 40 people drowned this week in unsupervised swimming areas. According to Les Morts de la Rue, 30 percent of deaths involving homeless people occur in summer.
