⚠️ Important note: information regarding this heatwave is constantly changing. We encourage you to check this article regularly and revisit our content to stay informed of the latest updates in real time.
🎯 Dealing with the heatwave: our advice and key precautions
Faced with a health situation requiring the utmost vigilance - with an ‘orange’ alert in place since Tuesday 7 July 2026 and a switch to a ‘red’ alert this Saturday 11 July 2026 for Paris and the Île-de-France region - the heatwave plan has been activated. This exceptional heatwave affects everyone: the elderly, those living alone or in vulnerable circumstances, but also younger people who appear to be in good health. To get through this extreme heatwave safely, please strictly follow these essential recommendations:
- Responsibility and preserving emergency services: avoid risky behaviour as much as possible so as not to overwhelm hospitals and emergency services, whose capacity is currently at breaking point. If you have any questions or need help organising your stay, seek advice from tourism professionals (hotels, tour guides, information points), who can direct you towards safe alternatives
- Hydration and diet: drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day, regularly and without waiting until you feel thirsty. Continue to eat as normal (opt for fruit, vegetables, soups and bread) and avoid alcohol at all costs, as it accelerates dehydration
- Activities and travel: limit your travel to the bare minimum and avoid any intense physical or sporting activity (such as jogging), particularly during the hottest part of the day, between 11.00 and 21.00
- Keeping your home cool: close your shutters, curtains and blinds during the day, and make the most of the cool night-time air to open windows wide. You can use a fan (placing bottles of ice-cold water in front of it) or hang damp sheets from the windows
- Seek out cool places: spend several hours a day in air-conditioned or cooled venues (partner museums, shopping centres, places of worship) or make the most of Paris’s parks, which are open at night
- Protect young children: give babies and young children water very regularly. Make sure they wear hats and use sun cream; never leave them alone in a car; and be extra vigilant around hot surfaces (slides, metal) or open windows
- Solidarity and the REFLEX scheme: check in regularly on vulnerable or isolated people in your circle. Remember to register them (or yourself) with the City of Paris’s REFLEX scheme by calling 3975 (or via Paris.fr) to benefit from support from healthcare professionals and social workers
- Our four-legged friends: to protect animals, the City is exceptionally opening 13 additional parks and gardens to dogs kept on a lead (such as the Square de la Tour Saint-Jacques, Parc Anvers or the Square Claude-Nicolas-Ledoux). Try to take your dog for a walk during the coolest hours of the night, as the parks are open at night
📞 Useful numbers: For further information or to report a cause for concern, contact the City of Paris on 3975. The national Canicule Info Service helpline is also available free of charge on 0800 06 66 66. If you feel unwell, dial 15 immediately.
🌳 Find cool spots and shaded routes
To escape extreme temperatures, the City of Paris has provided an interactive map listing all the cool spots in the capital. Parks, gardens open at night, misting systems, air-conditioned cultural venues or churches: instantly find the nearest shaded or cool spot to take a break in the cool.
💧 Fill your water bottle for free anywhere in the capital!
To stay hydrated throughout the day, instantly locate all available water points in Paris via the Eau de Paris interactive map. This map lists not only the city’s public fountains, but also all the businesses partnering with the Ici, je choisis Eau de Paris initiative, where you can have your water bottle or flask refilled for free.
👉 EXPLORE THE MAP
🎯 Cancellation/rescheduling of major events this weekend
The upgrade of the heatwave alert from orange to red over the long weekend of 14 July 2026 means that certain events scheduled to take place in the capital this weekend will be cancelled or modified – as decided by the Police Prefecture:
- Cancellation of all 2026 fire brigade balls in Paris and the inner suburbs
- Champ de Mars concert and fireworks display (13 July 2026): despite the extreme heat, the major National Day concert and fireworks display will go ahead, but their timings have been adjusted to protect the public. Entry to the site has been brought forward to 8pm (instead of 4.00 pm), the concert will start at 9.45pm (instead of 9pm) and the fireworks display will begin at 11pm (time unchanged). Furthermore, the consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited on public roads, and the City and State’s emergency response resources have been doubled
🎯 Museums and monuments: adjusted opening hours and access
To cope with the high temperatures, many museums, monuments and cultural venues in Paris and the Île-de-France region are adapting their operations to protect visitors and the artworks on display. Please remember to always check their official websites before setting off. The main changes currently in place concern:
- Specific changes to opening hours: The Louvre Museum is adjusting its access conditions and opening hours during this heatwave (closing at 4pm, last admission at 2pm from 10 to 13 July 2026 inclusive). Similarly, the Sainte-Chapelle is adjusting its visitor arrangements to adapt to changing weather conditions (open in the mornings only from 9am to midday until further notice), as is the Musée d’Orsay (closing at 5pm from 11 to 15 July 2026 inclusive). The Château de Fontainebleau will close at 2pm from 11 to 13 July 2026 inclusive. The Eiffel Tower closes at 4pm on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 July 2026 (last admission at 12.15pm for the monument tour and at 1.30pm for the restaurants). The Palace of Versailles closes at 4.30pm (4.15pm for the Trianon Estate) on Saturday 11 July and Sunday 12 July 2026. The Arc de Triomphe has adjusted its opening hours: open from 10am to 2.30pm and from 7.30 to 11pm
- Temporary or partial closures: the Palais de Tokyo is temporarily suspending its ground-floor exhibitions until 15 July 2026 inclusive and will close all exhibitions on 12 and 13 July 2026. The Musée Gustave Moreau, meanwhile, is completely closed for the duration of the heatwave. For its part, the Bourdelle Museum is restricting access by closing several galleries from 3pm onwards, starting on 11 July 2026
- A great tip for staying cool - and it’s free: to enable everyone to seek shelter and enjoy cool spaces, the permanent collections at the City of Paris’s museums are always free. Furthermore, venues such as the Petit Palais, the Paris Museum of Modern Art and the Paris Museum of the Liberation - General Leclerc - Jean Moulin all have specifically air-conditioned rooms and areas that are accessible to everyone free of charge: an ideal way to combine culture with a cool escape. The Musée des Arts et Métiers is open free of charge until 12 July 2026 inclusive (please note, however, that the first and second floors remain closed)
🎯 Let’s stay positive: where can you find some cool respite in Paris?
There’s no question of letting the heat get you down! The capital is brimming with clever ways to enjoy the summer whilst staying cool. To discover all the tips and shaded spots, check out our guide on what to do when it’s hot in Paris. And for a 100% relaxing break, take a look at the best places to go for a swim in Paris this summer: swimming pools, pop-up pools and supervised swimming spots are waiting for you to take a dip and cool off in a friendly atmosphere!
🎯 Regulated sale and consumption of alcohol
During this heatwave, the Paris Police Prefecture has not introduced any restrictive measures or bans regarding the sale or consumption of alcoholic drinks in Paris and the Greater Paris area.
Health advisory: although no administrative restrictions are in force, the health authorities remind the public that it is essential to limit alcohol consumption during heatwaves, as alcohol significantly increases the risk of dehydration
