Three of France's biggest tourist attractions, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Musée d'Orsay, will close early all weekend as an intense heatwave grips the country for the third time since May. A red alert is in place across Paris and most of north-west France.
Issued on: 11/07/2026 - 15:52
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The Eiffel Tower announced it would close at 4pm on Saturday and Sunday due to high temperatures. It usually stays open past midnight in the peak summer season. The Louvre, the world's most visited museum, will close at 4pm until Monday. With the heat forecast to continue for several more days, the Musée d'Orsay said it would close at 5pm until Wednesday. A total of 24 departments, home to an estimated 22.2 million people, were under the maximum red alert issued by national weather service Météo France on Saturday. Another 59 departments of 96 in mainland France were on an orange warning, the second highest. Temperatures will rise yet further this weekend, Météo France predicted, "with hot nights across most of the country". Temperatures could reach as high as 40C in the west of the country, where forecasters are also warning of possible severe thunderstorms.
The Eiffel Tower was also forced to close early on 23 June 2026 due to another intense heatwave. © AFP - CHARLOTTE SIEMON
