Some France schools closed for day of searing heat

– France braced itself for the hottest day yet in its latest heatwave on June 22, with temperatures that could climb up to 43 deg C in the west of the country and hundreds of schools closed.

In a first, France’s highest heat warning was issued across half the country for June 22, with forecasters warning that the scorching weather could end up being as serious as a 2003 heatwave that claimed the lives of nearly 15,000 people nationwide.

The afternoon of June 22 could see temperatures rise to 43 deg C in the south-western city of Bordeaux and 39 deg C in Paris, according to weather service Meteo-France.

More than 800 of the country’s 60,000 schools were to be closed, while 1,800 others were to adjust teaching hours, the Education Ministry said.

Since last week, other schools have suggested that parents keep their children at home or pick them up at lunchtime to extract them from boiling classrooms.

A primary school teacher in the Bordeaux region, who asked to remain anonymous to speak freely, told AFP she was alarmed that the authorities were not taking measures to cool down schools.

“Last week, it was 32 deg C in the classroom for the children.

“It’s only going to get worse, while the supermarket across the street is cool and air-conditioned,” she said.

“Everyone thinks it’s normal, but one day, we’re going to end up teaching in the aisles of the supermarket.”

On the morning of June 22, the Paris regional authorities urged residents to stay at home, warning that disruptions were expected on public transport.

“Our transportation system is going to suffer enormously... because the rails can’t withstand temperatures above 50 deg C,” the head of the Paris region Valerie Pecresse said.

Air-conditioning inside the carriages would also not be sufficient for trains packed full during a “rush hour at 40 deg C”, she added.

France is experiencing its second heatwave in 2025 after an unusually hot spell in May that shattered records across half the country.

Scientists have shown that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming, primarily caused by burning coal, oil and gas – and warn that they are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense.

Meteo-France says that of the 51 heatwaves recorded nationwide since 1947, 34 have occurred since 2000 and 26 since 2011.

The exceptional temperatures experienced in 2003 in France, Italy, Portugal and Spain led to tens of thousands of deaths.

Scientific studies estimate that more than 70,000 people died across 16 countries. AFP