France’s fifth heatwave sees temperatures climb: your questions answered

Temperatures continue to climb across France as the country’s fifth heatwave begins in earnest today.

State forecaster Météo France placed 43 departments on a tier-three orange heatwave warning for Tuesday in its 06:00 bulletin. 

By Wednesday, this will rise to 67 departments, with temperatures close to 40C forecast and only the far north of the country to be unaffected by heatwave alerts.

On Tuesday, the forecast shows temperatures of 30C to 32C in the north (up to 34C in Paris), 37C in the Loire Valley, and 36C in the south-west. 

Skies will be mostly clear except in the south-east, where some storms will persist. 

The heatwave is set to last until the weekend.

The Connexion has received many questions about the record heatwave, and we answer six of the most common below. 

1. How can I keep my pet safe? 

It is not only humans at risk during periods of heatwave, but animals of all kinds including pets and wild fauna. 

Advice that applies to humans also typically applies to pets living in your home – try and keep the space as cool as possible, let cooler air in during the evening period to reduce heat trapped inside the home, and prevent the animal from undergoing strenuous physical exertion. 

Keep pets in the coolest area of the house if possible, and limit their time spent in the sun. 

Dogs should be walked in the cooler periods of the day, typically evening or very early morning and certainly not in the middle of the day if their paws will be exposed to hot tarmac or roads.

Ensure pets have a regular supply of cool, fresh water available to them, and do not cut their fur – it actually helps protect them from the heat, as well as certain other illnesses. 

Younger animals should be given extra attention as they are less able to control their internal body temperature. 

If you are concerned about any symptoms a pet is exhibiting, immediately call a vet. 

More advice for keeping pets cool is available in our article here. 

You can also read about what to do if you see a wild animal impacted by the heatwave or a wildfire in our article here. 

2. Can I work from home instead of going into the office? 

Not automatically. Unlike other European counterparts including Germany, there is no ‘maximum temperature’ in France that limits professional activity. 

This means there are no blanket rules across the country limiting work activity once a certain threshold is reached. However, more and more companies do have internal policies for heatwaves.

This can include working from home when temperatures reach a certain level or the department is placed at a certain heatwave warning threshold, or allowing employees to take days off to be made up at another time or by using part of their annual leave. 

For those doing physical labour or working outside, such rules are more likely to be implemented due to the danger of working in such high temperatures, and France’s ministry of labour frequently conducts checks to ensure such workers have their needs met.

Offices and indoor workspaces are not legally required to install any form of heat-reducing measures such as air conditioning, blackout blinds, etc, but most now do so.

However, at temperatures of 33C and above companies must “ensure the safety and protect the physical and mental health of workers,” as stated in article L4121-1 of France’s employment code.

This can include any number of alterations including providing fresh drinking water – and shade for outdoor workers – altering work hours to avoid the hottest part of the day, and reducing the most physically demanding tasks. 

If you feel the company is not ensuring your safety during a heatwave, you should complain to the relevant HR department, direct management, or your Comité social et économique (CSE, worker representative body) and ask for alterations to be made. 

3. Can I get check ups for vulnerable family members? 

France runs a robust heatwave check system, implemented following the catastrophic 2003 canicule. 

Vulnerable people – over 65s, those living alone, disabled people, pregnant women, etc – can be enrolled for free on a local heatwave ‘register’. 

During periods of hot weather, authorities will contact the household via telephone to ensure the person is okay, remind them of tips to stay cool and provide a general welfare check. 

If the person seems in difficulty, or does not respond and this is deemed concerning, the authority can ask local police or gendarmes to conduct an in-person check. 

You can read about how to sign someone up to the register here. 

For a more prolonged system that operates outside of official heatwave periods, La Poste offers its Veiller sur mes parents or ‘check on my parents’ service. 

Posties will conduct a welfare check one to several times per week (depending on the subscription level purchased) on an elderly resident – it does not necessarily have to be your parent – and provide updates on how the person is doing.

This can be particularly useful during weather extremes, and can be combined with other services such as meal delivery from La Poste.

However, it requires a monthly subscription paid out to the postal force. More information is available here. 

4. Do driving rules change and is public transport affected?

Unlike during periods of rain, snow, fog, etc, there are no blanket rule changes for drivers during periods of hot weather. 

National speed limits remain the same, as do typical driving laws. Increases in pollution — common during heatwaves — can see speed limits dropped on certain roads if certain thresholds are passed, so it is still worth checking on these.

However, drivers are strongly advised to alter their habits, including: 

• Drink less alcohol, or abstain from drinking altogether if you are driving. Alcohol is more impactful during hot weather due to drivers sweating or suffering from dehydration, so you should limit yourself further than typical drink-driving limits 

• Avoid long drives on motorways and open roads during the hottest periods of the day if possible

• Ensure your car is stocked with fresh water, food, cool clothes and ways too cool down in case you are stuck in traffic 

• Take short breaks if driving for long periods

A list of driving rules not strictly pertaining to summer but useful to know during the season – such as footwear, sticking arms outside the vehicle, etc – can be found here. 

If you are taking public transport, note that the heatwave can affect train services. 

Cancellations are common for certain routes as France’s rail system struggles to cope with intense temperatures, although travellers should be reimbursed or be able to exchange their tickets for another date.

Local public transport such as metros, trams, and buses still typically run during heatwaves, although can be very busy and extremely hot so use them with caution. 

5. Will events near me be cancelled, and am I impacted by ‘health alerts’?

Local authorities can enact heatwave plans during intense temperatures, using alerts from Météo France as the basis for implementation. 

These plans mostly relate to increased resources to help vulnerable residents – including in care homes, hospitals, and for homeless people – but can include wider changes in the local area. 

This can include limits on outdoor activities, either through altering the hours (to avoid them happening during the hottest part of the day) or cancelling them altogether. 

Certain areas can be closed to the public, certain buildings limited in their opening hours, and authorities can even limit the sale of alcohol. 

You can read a comprehensive list of possible restrictions in our article here. 

While residents should typically follow state forecaster Météo France and its heatwave alerts to alter their behaviour, at a national level the government can now  implement a heatwave-specific version of civil-security ‘Orsec’ plans. 

Implemented for the first time in July 2026, it sees additional funding and resources allocated to hospitals and public services, increased welfare checks on vulnerable residents, and preparation for an influx of patients admitted to hospitals.  

An update to the plan following its first implementation added local ‘cooling centres’ that will open during heatwaves, where people can benefit from air conditioning and other measures to help cool their body down.

Implementation of Orsec plans changes little for residents in their day to day life, however can see vulnerable residents in buildings deemed too hot evacuated to cooling centres.

The same can be said for the ‘plan blanc’ raised by hospitals, which are implemented during certain emergencies to prepare for more short- and long-term patients being admitted. 

6. Is there help for getting air conditioning installed? 

France is currently pushing for the installation of air pumps (pompe à chaleur) as the main form of air conditioning, promoted as the most ecological way to cool homes down. 

A new round of funding and benefits for installing these pumps was recently announced – including a VAT drop – with more potentially on the way later in the year including a ‘leasing’ system for households to spread the cost of purchasing.

These systems also typically warm up homes in the winter, making them double up as a replacement for heaters.

Installation of certain air-water pumps – a more expensive and comprehensive system – falls under the MaPrimeRénov’ government aid scheme, with low and modest income households able to benefit from some state aid to install them.

Standard air pumps however are only covered through the scheme if installed alongside at least one other project. 

An overview of state aid available for installing air pumps is available in our article here.

Outside of this, there is little direct aid for installing standard air conditioning units that are not air pump systems, as they typically increase rather than reduce a household’s energy usage. 

Note that installation of any systems in a shared building can take a long time and require the approval of other residents.