Red alert in Paris, which is melting from heat
The intensity of the heatwave in the Île-de-France and the thermometer's climb for Saint John's Day force the activation of emergency plans and the suspension of mass events due to the impact of the urban heat island
BarcelonaThe start of summer 2026 arrives accompanied by unprecedented climatic severity in a large part of Western Europe. The seasonal change has coincided with a sudden escalation of temperatures that has forced the French meteorological service to decree the maximum alert level in the metropolitan region of Paris, where the thermometer today reached 38º and threatens to surpass historical records this week, more typical of desert latitudes.
This extreme episode in Paris – among other cities – highlights the vulnerability of our cities and the lack of vegetation in large metropolises. This photo gallery collects images from exceptional days where daily life and images of young people jumping into the waters of the Saint-Martin canal, in Paris, become the visual metaphor that reminds us that the global emergency is already a reality.