Parisians will be restricted from drinking alcohol in public from noon on Friday until 07:00 on Saturday. The measures will be in place during the same hours from Saturday to Sunday, according to the BBC.

Heatwave moves eastward

Heatwave conditions that have left Spain, the UK, and France sweltering for days are set to shift to the east, with forecasters in Germany and the Czech Republic warning of extreme conditions. Temperatures in Germany could hit 40°C across the country on Friday. An extreme weather warning is now in place in much of the Czech Republic.

Health measures and exemptions

Bans on takeaway alcohol sales will be in effect from 18:00 on Friday until 07:00 on Saturday in the capital, and again during the same hours from Saturday to Sunday. Licensed bars and restaurants are exempt from the restrictions.

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the health alert level was being raised to its highest, to boost hospital staffing and protect the vulnerable. Speaking to local media, Paris police chief Patrice Faure said: “We are reaching a saturation point in hospital facilities.”

Climate concerns and record temperatures

United Nations climate change chief Simon Stiell has said “Europe’s savage heatwave has the fingerprints of the climate crisis all over it,” and he has called for “a faster shift to renewables, protecting forests and boosting climate resilience.”

After France recorded its hottest day on Wednesday for the second day in a row, records continue to be broken. Météo-France said the average minimum temperature reached 22°C on Wednesday night. Nantes saw 27.2°C in the north-west.

After days of record-breaking temperatures in France, officials have warned people to adjust their behaviour, with Health Minister Stéphanie Rist saying there were risks to young people as well as the elderly. Rist said “young people are also suffering from cardiac arrests.”