France Celebrates Music Festival Amid Record Heatwave

France celebrated its annual Fête de la Musique on Sunday, filling streets with concerts and performances, even as a severe heatwave prompted a red alert across a third of the nation. The heat is expected to intensify, with red alert status expanding to cover half the country on Monday, a new record. Another 40 departments will be under orange alert.

President Emmanuel Macron urged citizens to look out for one another, particularly the elderly, children, and vulnerable individuals. Meteo-France warned that temperatures could soar to 41 degrees Celsius (106 Fahrenheit) in some areas. This heatwave is part of a broader phenomenon affecting Southern Britain, Spain, and Portugal.

Despite the extreme heat, the Music Festival proceeded in many cities, including Paris, Lyon, and Strasbourg, though some smaller events were canceled. To mitigate health risks and potential disorder, the government banned public alcohol consumption in red alert zones. The extreme weather also impacted education, with 845 schools scheduled to close on Monday and 1,800 modifying their hours.

Neighboring countries are also grappling with the heat. Spain had 13 of its 17 regions on orange alert, with the Basque Country bordering France under red alert. A public broadcast of Spain's World Cup match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid was canceled due to forecasts of up to 40 degrees Celsius. Portugal placed three inland districts on orange alert, anticipating temperatures as high as 42 degrees Celsius, while the UK extended its extreme heat amber alert for much of England through Thursday, with potential highs of 37 degrees Celsius or more.

“

take care of each other