Paris has banned drinking takeaway alcohol in the street this weekend and cancelled the city's Pride march to relieve overwhelmed ambulance services and overcrowded hospitals during a deadly heatwave. Temperatures hit a June record of 40.9C (105.6F) on Wednesday and remained near 40C on Thursday.
Police Chief Warns of Saturation
Paris police chief Patrice Faure told BFM TV: "As you know, drinking alcohol with the sun beating down can have a devastating effect." Emergency services had reached full capacity as serious heat-related illnesses rose, he said: "We are reaching a saturation point in hospital facilities."
Paris Pride, which typically draws hundreds of thousands of people, was deemed a major health risk in the extreme temperatures. Organisers have postponed it to September. The Solidays music festival has also been cancelled.
Alcohol Ban Details
The street-drinking ban began at noon on Friday and will run until 7am Saturday, then again from noon Saturday to 7am Sunday. Sales of takeaway alcohol from shops and supermarkets are prohibited from 6pm Friday to Saturday morning, and again at the same time on Saturday. Restaurants, bars and cafes with seating areas are exempt.
The ban comes into force before France plays Norway in the Women's World Cup. It aims to stop people buying beer, wine and spirits from shops and drinking them in the street, along canals, and by the Seine.
Hospitals and Ambulance Services Overwhelmed
Paris hospitals are full, with some patients treated in corridors. Ambulance services are responding to 2,500 callouts daily, double the usual figure, many related to dehydration and heat-related crises. French health minister Stéphanie Rist reported that Paris ambulance services saw four times more cardiac arrests than normal over a 24-hour period, including among young people.
Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said deaths in the city will have certainly risen, though full statistics are not yet available. At least 55 people have drowned in France since the heatwave began, and three young children were found dead in hot cars.
Record Temperatures and Red Alert
More than 44 million people in France (out of 67 million) have been under the highest red alert for heat this week, with several more days of stifling heat forecast. The UK and Switzerland also recorded their hottest ever June days as health emergencies surged across Europe.
It remains uncertain how strictly the alcohol ban will be followed. A similar ban during the Fête de la Musique last weekend in Paris and other towns still resulted in piles of beer cans and wine bottles collected during cleanup.
