A man dives into a fountain near the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, France, amid the historic heat wave in the European country, on June 22, 2026. Abdul Saboor/ Reuters The Eiffel Tower, in Paris, was closed this Tuesday (23) due to a heat wave that increased temperatures in the city. "The Eiffel Tower is adapting due to forecast high temperatures and will close exceptionally at 4pm [local time]," the tower's website said in a statement. The monument will be closed from 11am Brasília time and visitors with tickets will be automatically refunded, according to Sete - the company that manages the attraction. There was still no forecast for reopening to the public, until the last update of this report. France is facing an extreme heat wave this week, along with other countries in Europe, which has caused deaths and other problems (read more below). Météo France, the French meteorological institute, predicts temperatures close to 40°C in the French capital on Tuesday afternoon, and which could reach up to 44°C in the coming days. Drowning deaths Heat wave hits several countries in Europe The extreme heat wave that has been affecting Europe has caused 40 deaths from drowning since June 18 in France, "mainly among young people", the country's government announced this Tuesday (23). The information was given by French Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, at an emergency meeting about the heat wave — this Tuesday, France recorded the hottest morning on record in the country. Sports Minister Marina Ferrari said French people have been jumping into canals and rivers to cool off and warned people to avoid swimming in unauthorized or dangerous areas. According to the AFP news agency, 90% of French people live in areas where authorities have declared a red alert or orange alert for extreme heat this Tuesday. Temperatures can reach up to 43°C in some parts of western France. Overnight weather conditions brought little relief, with around 30 monitoring stations still recording temperatures above 25°C. French people on the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin, in Paris, where bathing was allowed REUTERS/Alice Sacco In an area of ??Paris, City Hall offered free cinema tickets to people under 25 or over 65, for a break in an air-conditioned place. Some trains were cancelled, including between Paris and Brussels. "France is operating at a slow pace. Companies, as far as possible, are implementing the recommendations to protect their employees," Patrick Martin, president of MEDEF, the French employers' association, told BFM TV. The UK, Italy, Spain and Belgium are also being hit by the heatwave. In Italy, the Ministry of Health issued the maximum alert for 15 cities and the government took measures to suspend or reduce activities in certain sectors. In the UK, dozens of schools have announced they will close early due to old buildings not being suitable for classrooms of more than 30 children. According to the World Meteorological Organization, Europe is warming at a rate more than double the global average, making prolonged episodes of heat increasingly likely.
