Is France equipped to handle heatwaves? 55 drown from swimming in unauthorised locations
A gruelling heatwave has embroiled France, leading to 55 deaths through drowning. Paris bans public drinking, warns hospitals near 'saturation' Zinc roofs turn dream into
A gruelling heatwave has embroiled France, leading to 55 deaths through drowning. Paris bans public drinking, warns hospitals near 'saturation' Zinc roofs turn dream into nightmare Why are people going outdoors? Heatwave peak and records The drowning death toll in France has risen to 55 since the heatwave began on June 18, with Sports Minister Marina Ferrari warning that the situation "may worsen" as record temperatures continue to grip the country."Yesterday evening we were at 55, but we fear that the situation may worsen," Ferrari told broadcaster franceinfo.French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated during an inter-ministerial crisis meeting that "the majority of deaths caused by the heatwave since the 18th have been young people." While officials did not disclose specific details regarding locations, causes or ages, French authorities estimate that most accidents occurred while swimming in unauthorised locations to escape the heat.Among the latest reported tragedies were a 13-year-old girl who drowned in the River Seine and several young individuals pulled from dangerous stretches of the River Rhône near Lyon."Swimming in unsupervised areas is not something to be taken lightly. We understand the desperate need to cool off, but doing so in unauthorised zones is putting lives at immediate risk," Sports and Youth Minister Marina Ferrari said.Paris police prefect Patrice Faure announced a ban on alcohol consumption in public spaces from noon Friday, warning that hospitals were nearing "saturation.""We are reaching a point of saturation in hospitals," Faure said at a press briefing.
"My duty is to ensure that the system does not become paralyzed."The decree, published Thursday evening, prohibits alcohol consumption from noon Friday until 7am Saturday, and from noon Saturday until 7am Sunday. The sale of alcohol for takeaway or from specialized shops is banned from 6pm onwards. Restaurants and bars are not affected.Faure said the Pride March on Saturday and the Solidays festival, which begins Friday, could be cancelled by decree. "My hand will not tremble when it comes to choosing and deciding," he said.The unrelenting heatwave has turned the iconic zinc roofs of Paris into a health hazard for people living directly underneath in cramped attic dwellings that retain searing heat.About three-quarters of Paris rooftops use sheets of zinc as covering. But as a metal, zinc absorbs and conducts heat. A study of the record-breaking 2003 heatwave blamed for 15,000 heat-related deaths found that living in a Paris attic room directly under the roof increased the risk of death by more than fourfold, France's public health agency said.Researchers who studied heat-related deaths in European cities for a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal in 2023 found that Paris had the highest risks of heat-related deaths out of 30 European capitals."People find the rooftops of Paris charming.
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