Paris, July 11, 2026
Sustained heat has led to the early closure of several well-known tourist attractions in Paris, while the weather service Météo-France issued warning levels for large parts of France.
The Eiffel Tower closed at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday instead of the usual midnight. As the operator announced on its website, the early closure was weather-related. This drastically shortened visiting hours at the Parisian landmark on both days.
The Louvre Museum, whose exhibits include the Mona Lisa, also opened only until 4:00 p.m. through Monday. The Musée d'Orsay closed early at 5:00 p.m. each day through Wednesday. Two of the world's most-visited museums thus responded to the oppressive heat in the French capital.
Eiffel Tower and museums respond
Temperatures in Paris on Saturday hovered around 35 degrees. The weather service Météo-France called for "absolute vigilance" due to the oppressive heat there. Authorities classified the situation as serious.
The second-highest heat warning level Orange was issued for 59 départements. At the start of the summer holidays, the highest heat warning level Red was in effect in 24 départements in the center and west of the country — in just over a quarter of the country. A significant part of France was thus affected by the heat wave.