French aversion to air conditioning melts as homes sizzle
As Europe's heatwave leaves millions sweltering in poorly insulated apartments, schools and retirement homes, more French people are breaking with tradition to turn to air conditioning.
Many in France believe cooling systems are bad for the environment.
But with scientists saying climate change is fueling increasingly frequent hot spells in France, cooling units are starting to fly off shelves and have even become a hot topic in the runup to next year's presidential election.
Matthieu Ruquet, 35, says he was against AC, but his American wife convinced him to buy a portable unit to keep their two-year-old daughter and dog cool after their flat in the Paris suburbs reached 36 degrees Celsius indoors.
