A homeless person sleeps on the street, Paris, December 27, 2025. DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP
It snowed in Paris on Monday afternoon, January 5. But Madeleine did not know it, as she spent the day along the metro platforms. With blankets bought at the market, a wool hat, gloves and a winter coat, the 70-year-old homeless woman did her best to prepare for winter, her first on the street. "It's been a long time since it was this cold," she said. "In the morning, I can't move my fingers. I'm frozen."
Météo France, the national weather service, placed Paris on snow and ice alert on Monday, as a severe cold snap swept through the city. While temperatures are expected to rise by Wednesday, the capital saw lows of -3°C during the night from Monday to Tuesday. To survive, Madeleine spends her days in the metro. At night, she boards a night bus at Gare de l'Est station, falling asleep for the duration of a round trip.
The underhoused were the first to feel the effects of the cold. The Agence France-Presse news agency reported a 58-year-old man died of hypothermia in Chartres on January 1, after spending the night in a supermarket parking lot. Pressured by the City of Paris, regional authorities on Sunday activated the Grand Froid emergency plan, which is designed to provide better sheltering conditions for homeless people. Already launched in some 30 departments, the plan strengthens outreach patrols, requisitions hotels for families and extends hours of daytime shelters.
