France issues record red heat alert as Europe swelters in heatwave

France entered a new phase of heat-risk governance on Sunday as Météo-France placed 35 departments under its highest red alert, the most ever issued by the agency. The warning covered about a third of the country and roughly 26 million people, including Paris and much of Île-de-France, as temperatures in some areas were expected to climb to 39 to 41 degrees Celsius, with locally higher readings possible.

The alert turned what might once have been treated as a seasonal discomfort into a public-health emergency with direct limits on daily life. France restricted public alcohol consumption during the annual Fête de la Musique in red-alert areas, and some outdoor sports events were canceled. Emergency services and military forces were also put on wildfire alert as officials braced for the combination of extreme heat, dry conditions and the added strain of the summer solstice, which can intensify ultraviolet exposure.

Météo-France described the spell as an extended, durable and intense heatwave, warning that it could last through the following week. The agency said the conditions recalled the severe heatwaves of July 2019 and August 2003, two benchmarks that remain etched in French climate memory. Forecasters also said Paris could exceed 40 degrees Celsius on a June day for the first time, a milestone that would underscore how quickly summer extremes are moving beyond familiar limits.

The red alert also highlighted who bears the heaviest burden when temperatures surge. Météo-France said older adults, children, outdoor workers, athletes, people with chronic illnesses and isolated residents face elevated heatstroke risk, and it urged those at risk to drink water regularly and follow safety instructions. The message was not only about comfort but about capacity: how long workers can stay outside, how safely athletes can compete and how municipalities can keep crowds moving without putting people in danger.

The same heatwave spread disruption beyond France. Germany issued nationwide heat warnings, and a football fan zone in Madrid was canceled because of forecast high temperatures, showing how emergency response is becoming a cross-border feature of European summer. The pattern points to a wider policy reality: as extreme heat becomes more frequent, governments are no longer just warning the public. They are imposing temporary restrictions on drinking, sports and mass gatherings to keep public life functioning.