IN BRIEF
- France restricted alcohol and expanded alerts as parts of the country approached 41C.
- From closed fan zones to altered travel, heat is changing life across southern Europe.
A punishing heatwave sweeping across Europe is prompting governments to impose restrictions, issue warnings and reshape daily life as temperatures climb towards record levels.
France is preparing for temperatures of up to 41C, with 35 of the country's 96 regions expected to move onto red heatwave alerts stretching from the southwest through Paris and into Burgundy.
After a crisis meeting, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced restrictions on alcohol consumption at public events, including the annual Fête de la Musique celebrations across affected regions.
Authorities in Paris have also ordered parks to remain open around the clock to help residents escape the heat.
Restrictions and warnings spread across Europe
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Elsewhere, heat alerts were issued across most of Germany as temperatures approached 38C.
Germany's national weather service warned that a combination of high temperatures and humidity could increase the risk of severe thunderstorms.
In Spain, authorities closed a World Cup fan zone in Madrid's Plaza de Colón that had been set up with giant screens for supporters to watch Spain's match against Saudi Arabia.
Parts of Spain remain under heat warnings, with some outdoor sporting and cultural activities suspended.
In Italy, authorities expanded heat warnings across several cities as temperatures pushed into the high 30s.
Daily life reshaped by extreme heat
Across southern Europe, the heat has reportedly begun altering how residents and tourists move through cities.
In Rome, visitors queued in the sun outside the Colosseum while others sought relief in cooler underground spaces beneath the remains of the Temple of Claudius.
In Bologna, among Italy's hottest cities, people cooled off at the Fountain of Neptune and sheltered beneath shaded porticoes.
Transport networks and public services have also adjusted.
French authorities increased staffing across rail services amid concerns that extreme temperatures could affect infrastructure, including tracks and electrical systems.
Officials have also tightened monitoring around water supplies and bushfire conditions.
The government ordered hundreds of schools to close ahead of expected peak temperatures.
Heatwaves carry growing economic and health costs
Scientists say climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and intense across Europe, increasing risks to public health and economic activity.
Bank of France governor Emmanuel Moulin said the short-term impact on growth was mixed, with reduced productivity offset in part by higher energy demand, but warned that prolonged periods of extreme heat weigh on economies over time.
Health authorities have also renewed warnings around heat exhaustion and heat stroke, particularly for older people and vulnerable communities.
The heatwave comes more than two decades after France's deadly 2003 summer, which claimed around 15,000 lives and changed the country's approach to managing extreme heat.
— With additional reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
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