EIFFEL TOWER AND LOUVRE SHUT DOWN DUE TO RECORD HEATWAVE

PARIS, JUNE 23 /SRNA/ – The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum in Paris have been closed to visitors today in response to a historic heatwave affecting France.

The Louvre announced that it will close at 4:00 p.m. instead of 6:00 p.m. from Wednesday through Saturday. The museum said the historic building was not designed to withstand the effects of climate change and that heat accumulates in certain areas toward the end of the day.

Temperatures in Paris are expected to reach 39 degrees Celsius today, after 36 degrees Celsius were recorded yesterday.

France's national weather service, Meteo-France, has issued a red heat alert for 58 regions across the country.

At the same time, authorities reported that the number of drowning victims among people seeking relief from the heat over recent days has risen to 40.