⚠️ 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 public health situation that calls for the utmost vigilance, the City of Paris has activated its Level 4 heatwave plan. This exceptional event affects everyone: the elderly, those who are isolated or vulnerable, 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.
💧 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
🎯 Major events cancelled this weekend: 27 and 28 June 2026
Due to a ‘red alert’ for an ‘extreme heatwave’ and in order to preserve emergency services’ capacity, the Paris Police Prefecture has decided to cancel the major events scheduled for the weekend. This includes:
🎯 Museums and monuments: adjusted opening hours and access
To cope with the high temperatures, many museums, monuments and cultural venues in Île-de-France are adjusting their opening hours to protect visitors and the artworks on display. Please check their official websites before visiting:
- Early closures and reduced opening hours: The Louvre Museum and the Musée d’Orsay are closing earlier at the end of the day. This also applies to iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye (which houses the National Archaeology Museum) and the Chapelle Expiatoire, which are reducing their opening hours. The Maison de Balzac is closing its exhibition rooms, but its café and garden remain open; the same applies to the Musée de la Vie Romantique (closure of its Pavillon) and the Maison de Victor Hugo (closure of the flat on the Place des Vosges)
- Temporary or partial closures: The Palais de Tokyo is temporarily suspending its exhibitions. The Musée Gustave Moreau, meanwhile, is completely closed for the duration of the heatwave. Meanwhile, the Musée Bourdelle is restricting access by closing part of its permanent collections (galleries 1 to 6). At the Château de Fontainebleau, certain rooms remain closed to the public and outdoor leisure activities have been suspended. The Sainte-Chapelle is closed until 27 June inclusive
- A great tip for a cool, free outing: To allow everyone to seek shelter and enjoy cool spaces, the Musée des Arts et Métiers is opening its doors free of charge (please note, however, that the first and second floors remain closed), as is the National Museum of the History of Immigration (except for the Aquarium, which still charges an admission fee). The permanent collections of the City of Paris’s museums are always free. Better still, the Petit Palais, the Paris Museum of Modern Art and the Paris Museum of the Liberation - General Leclerc - Jean Moulin all have specially air-conditioned rooms and areas accessible to everyone free of charge: an ideal way to combine culture with a cool escape. Please note that the Panthéon is free from 25 to 28 June 2026
🎯 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!
🎯 Restrictions on the sale and consumption of alcohol
To minimise the risk of dehydration and avoid overburdening street-based medical services, the Paris Police Prefecture has also introduced temporary restrictions on alcohol:
- The consumption of alcohol on public roads and in public spaces is prohibited from 12pm until 7am the following day (on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 June)
- The sale of alcohol to take away is prohibited from 6pm until 7am the following day in retail outlets and convenience stores
- These restrictions do not apply to legally authorised outdoor seating areas at bars and restaurants
