Europe swelters in heatwave, Eiffel Tower closes top floor

A heat wave warning was activated for 16 French départements Tuesday (July 1), including Île-de-France, where Paris is located.

As a result, the Eiffel Tower summit closed to tourists Tuesday, into Wednesday, with staff asking visitors to take precautions during the heat.

"Remember to protect yourself from the sun and stay hydrated. Water fountains are available in the walkways leading to the esplanade," reads a statement on the attraction's website. 

Visitors who had tickets to the summit will be automatically refunded, the attraction says. Visits to the second and first floors are still possible.

For first time in five years, Paris has activated a red alert - the highest extreme heat warning in France.

Other parts of Europe are also experiencing extreme heat – with some countries reporting record-setting temperatures.

Spain and England have recorded their hottest June ever. As reported by the BBC, Spain's weather service Aemet said the "extremely hot" June - with an average temperature of 23.6C (74.5F) - "has pulverised records", surpassing the normal average for July and August.

In England, the Met Office said June's mean temperature of 16.9C set a new record for that month, while the UK saw its second warmest June since records began in 1884.

Mainland Portugal also experienced a record daily temperature for June of 46.6C, while in Florence, Italy, meteorologists registered a temperature of 38.9C on Tuesday.

The spiking temperatures have also contributed to wildfires.

Fires broke out Sunday in Aude, in the southwest of France, burning nearly 400 acres.

In Türkiye, some 50,000 people have been evacuated as firefighters tackle blazes in the western Izmir and Manisa provinces, reports say.

Temperatures in Greece have been approaching 40°C for several days, triggering wildfires in multiple towns near Athens. These fires have destroyed homes and forced residents to evacuate.

In Germany, the national weather service has issued warnings that temperatures could climb to nearly 38°C on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the potential to break previous records.

The heatwave is also affecting the Rhine River, a vital route for shipping and river cruises. Dropping water levels are restricting how much cargo vessels can carry, leading to higher freight costs.

“The new normal”

On Monday, UN human rights chief Volker Turk emphasized that the ongoing heatwave underscores the urgent need for climate adaptation — including shifting away from fossil fuels and other practices that are major drivers of climate change.

"Rising temperatures, rising seas, floods, droughts, and wildfires threaten our rights to life, to health, to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and much more," he told the UN's Human Rights Council.

The heat wave covering much of Europe is forecast to persist throughout the week, pushing temperatures above average and providing minimal relief.

António Guterres, the UN secretary general, also said at a development conference in Seville on Monday: “Extreme heat is no longer a rare event – it has become the new normal.”

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