Half of France under red heat alert as alcohol banned at street music festival

(BBC News) France has issued red heatwave alerts for around half the country including Paris for Monday as a heatwave pushes temperatures towards record levels.

On Sunday, temperatures in the southwestern city of Bordeaux hit 40C (104F).

Earlier, French authorities banned alcohol consumption in public places during the annual Fête de la Musique, a national music festival that draws millions to the streets across the country.

“For all events organised by the state and its agencies, instructions have been given not to offer alcohol,” the office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said.

The limits on alcohol consumption aim “to preserve emergency and healthcare services and allow medical staff to focus on caring for the most vulnerable,” the government said.

Temperatures have been forecast to peak on Monday, and authorities have warned they could match historic highs. The red alert covers much of western and central France, while many other regions are under an orange alert.

Nearly 850 schools are due to stay closed on Monday, while 1,500 more will let pupils leave early.

The rising temperatures are being driven by hot air moving north from the Sahara desert, which is in turn trapping hot air over western and central Europe.

Italian authorities have issued red alerts for eight cities for Sunday, including Bologna, Florence, Milan, and Turin, while Spain’s weather agency has also issued red and orange alerts in several regions and warned of temperatures hitting 40 degrees across large parts of the country.

The heatwave has been building for days and has disrupted some government services in France, forcing the cancellation of dozens of trains.

France’s weather service Météo-France said it was “uncertain” how long the heatwave, which has been estimated to affect about three quarters of the population, would last.

To help Parisians and tourists cope with the heat, authorities are keeping parks and gardens in the French capital open through the night.

Fête de la Musique has been going for more than 40 years, and is always held on the summer solstice.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgmdw4vn7y2o