France closes 2000 schools and monuments due to heatwave

Nearly 2000 schools in France were shut down, tourist access to monuments was restricted, and cities across Europe were placed on high alert as the season’s first heatwave swept through the continent on Tuesday.

Paris has issued a red alert for extreme heat, while Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany have also released warnings. Experts are calling this heat a “silent killer,” as past heatwaves in Europe have led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people. Authorities are especially advising the elderly, young children, and those with health problems to stay safe and avoid exposure. In a tragic incident in Spain, police reported that a two-year-old child died after being left inside a car under the sun for several hours.

The EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) has warned that millions of Europeans are facing high heat stress in the coming days. They expect temperatures to remain above normal across most continents. Climate expert and deputy director of C3S, Samantha Burgess, said this event is unusual because it is not only extreme but also arrived very early in the summer. She added that climate change has likely made it more severe than it would have been in the past.

Several heat records have already been broken: the Netherlands recorded its hottest start to July. , France and Portugal reported their highest single-day temperatures in June, and Spain and England experienced their warmest June on record. On Sunday, Europe saw two climate extremes— the Mediterranean Sea hit a new record temperature for June, and Mont Blanc, the continent’s highest peak, rose above freezing, which is very uncommon for this time of year.