Paris has imposed temporary restrictions on alcohol sales and public drinking as Europe’s deadly heatwave intensifies, overwhelming hospitals and triggering emergency alerts across several countries.
WEBDESK – MEDIABITES
Europe’s extreme heat crisis continued to worsen on Thursday as France introduced emergency restrictions in Paris while Germany, the Czech Republic, and several other countries prepared for temperatures approaching 40°C.
French authorities announced a ban on public alcohol consumption in Paris from noon Friday until 7 am Saturday, with the same restrictions returning over the weekend. Takeaway alcohol sales will also be prohibited during evening and overnight hours in an attempt to reduce pressure on already strained emergency services and hospitals.
Paris police chief Patrice Faure warned that hospitals were reaching a “saturation point” as the city struggles with rising cases of heat-related illness, dehydration, and cardiac arrests.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed that France’s health alert system had been raised to its highest level to protect vulnerable citizens and strengthen hospital staffing.
Health officials revealed that ambulance services in Paris recorded four times more cardiac arrest cases than usual within just 24 hours. Authorities also warned young people not to underestimate the dangers of the extreme temperatures.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire urged residents to avoid outdoor exercise during the heatwave, describing jogging in such conditions as “irresponsible”.
The heatwave has already led to multiple deaths across France. A three-year-old child was found dead inside a car near Paris, while emergency services in Rennes linked several deaths among elderly residents to the soaring temperatures.
The climate crisis has once again come under global focus, with United Nations climate chief Simon Stiell saying Europe’s “savage heatwave” carried the “fingerprints of climate change”.
Germany is expected to experience temperatures as high as 40°C on Friday, with meteorologists warning that the country could face a historic weather event. The Czech Republic, Austria, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands have also issued severe weather alerts.
Meanwhile, Italy is bracing for even harsher conditions next week, with temperatures expected to exceed 40°C in several northern regions.
Spain has already recorded temperatures above 45°C this week, while authorities there reported more than 200 heat-related deaths in just four days.
Scientists say Europe remains the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising at twice the global average.
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