Eiffel Tower closed due to heat wave in Paris

A man dives into a fountain near the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, France, amid a 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 the forecast of 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.
Deaths from drowning
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, in an emergency meeting about the heat wave - this Tuesday, France recorded the hottest dawn on record in the country.
Sports Minister, Marina Ferrari, said that French people have been jumping into canals and rivers to cool off and warned that people avoid swimming in unauthorized or dangerous areas.
According to the AFP news agency, 90% of French people live in areas where authorities declared a red alert or orange alert for extreme heat this Tuesday. Temperatures can reach as high as 43°C in some parts of western France.
Weather conditions overnight brought little relief, with around 30 monitoring stations still recording temperatures above 25°C.
French on the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, where bathing was allowed
REUTERS/Alice Sacco
In one area of Paris, City Hall offered free cinema tickets to people under 25 and over 65 years old, 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 United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Belgium are also being hit by the heat wave.
In Italy, the Ministry of Health has issued a high alert for 15 cities and the government has taken measures to suspend or reduce activities in certain sectors.
In the UK, dozens of schools have announced that they will close early, due to old buildings not being suitable for classrooms with more than 30 children.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, Europe is warming at a rate more than double the global average, making prolonged bouts of heat increasingly likely.

Source: G1