Météo-France placed 49 departments under red-level heatwave vigilance on Monday, June 22, as temperatures soared across the country [1].

This extreme weather event represents a significant public health crisis, forcing the government to implement emergency measures to prevent heat-related deaths and infrastructure failure.

The alert affects approximately 35 million people [2]. Officials said the heat is historic and prolonged, with temperatures exceeding 40°C in several regions [2]. In Le Blanc, the maximum temperature reached 44.3°C [5].

Public services have been disrupted to ensure safety. A total of 845 schools were closed because of the heatwave [2]. Authorities said the public should avoid taking trains during the peak of the alert [2].

The heat has already had fatal consequences. There were 13 deaths by drowning over a three-day period as people sought relief in water [4].

Weather officials expect the crisis to persist. The red vigilance alert remained in place for Tuesday, June 23 [3]. While Le Parisien reported that 49 departments remained under the alert [6], La Nouvelle République indicated the number expanded to 54 departments [7].

“49 departments under red vigilance on Monday”

The scale of this alert—affecting over half the population and causing widespread school closures—underscores the increasing volatility of European summers. The discrepancy in the number of affected departments for Tuesday suggests a rapidly evolving weather pattern that is challenging the capacity of regional administrations to coordinate real-time emergency responses.