Paris temperatures set to fall after heatwave weekend

Despite the heat, Paris plages – the much-copied annual artificial beach on the banks of the Seine – closes Sunday night. Officials say they would have liked to prolong it to make the most of late-arriving summer weather but that the logistics would have been too complicated.

Interactive map of France

Weather forecaster Météo France predicts a fall in temperatures in Paris and several other regions at the beginning of next week, although the south-east may get even hotter.

“There has never been such an intense post-15 August heatwave,” commented Météo France’s Etienne Kapikian on Sunday.

But, with 34 départements on alert, no serious health problems have been reported so far and Health Minister Marisol Touraine declared that the situation was “perfectly calm”.

A heatwave must last 72 hours to be recognised as such by Météo France, which says that homes do not get overheated before that length of time.

Even night-time temperatures were high in many parts of France this weekend – 27°3C at Nice, 23°C at Toulouse and even 5°C on the Aiguille du Midi peak near Mont Blanc.

French government heatwave plan

RFI/Anthony Terrade