The French are enjoying the sunshine as the annual music festival takes place in Paris and the rest of the country on Sunday. National Weather Service warns of dangerous temperatures.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that it was banning alcohol consumption during nationwide Fête de la Musique (“Festival of Music”) celebrations in regional departments placed under red heatwave alert from noon on Sunday.
“Instructions have been given not to offer alcohol for all events organized by the state and its agencies,” the statement said after a crisis meeting called by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
Météo France, the national weather forecaster, issued the highest level of warning, a red heatwave alert, for 35 regional departments for Sunday, including Paris.
France is going to experience really high temperatures from Sunday
Meteo France said temperatures are likely to reach 41 degrees Celsius in some areas on Sunday.
Temperatures on Monday are expected to be even higher, ranging between 37 degrees to 42 degrees Celsius.
At the national level, the heatwave will be similar to July 2019 and August 2003 in terms of day and night temperatures, Météo France said on Friday.
In 2003, France experienced an unprecedented heat wave that resulted in the deaths of 14,800 people, the majority of whom were elderly people.
The Fete de la Musique turns Paris into an open-air party
The Fête de la Musique is one of France’s largest annual events and has become even more popular with the spread of social media.
The event attracted nearly 2 million people to Paris last year, including visitors from countries such as the UK.
DJs, rock bands, choirs, French jazz and classical musicians take over the city to celebrate the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.
However, last year’s festivities raised safety concerns when some people reported being pricked with syringes.
Authorities have since adopted a zero-tolerance approach and have created designated spaces for women and people with disabilities at key locations.
Edited by: Louis Olofse
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