From Eiffel Tower fountains to the Seine: Parisians seek relief from heatwaves through the decades

Paris is grappling with unprecedented heat, as Tuesday marked the hottest day since records began in 1947. France's national weather service, Météo France, reported an average temperature of 29.8 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of 29.4 degrees set in 2019 and 2003. The summer of 2003 was particularly deadly, with an estimated 15,000 French citizens succumbing to the heat, primarily the elderly.

The current heatwave, which began last week, has brought localized temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. This event is part of a broader trend: Météo France has recorded 52 heatwaves in France, with two-thirds of them occurring since the turn of the century. However, historical records show that high temperatures were also a feature of summers in 1948, 1949, and 1952.

Archived photographs illustrate Parisians' enduring struggle for relief from the heat across different eras. Images depict people cooling off in the Seine, bathing in fountains at the Eiffel Tower and Place de la Concorde, and seeking refuge in public pools like the floating Deligny pool along the Seine, which later sank. These visual records underscore the long history of Parisians adapting to summer heat, from the mid-20th century to more recent times, highlighting the persistent challenge of extreme temperatures in the French capital.