Eiffel Tower summit in Paris closed as Europe continues to face record-breaking heatwave

The Eiffel Tower's summit closed due to a heatwave affecting much of Europe, causing record temperatures. Photo / 123rf

In Paris, blistering heat led the Eiffel Tower to close its summit and remind prospective visitors to take precautions.

In London, the Wimbledon tennis tournament saw its hottest opening day on record, with temperatures climbing above 32C.

Farther south, Italy expanded its ban on outdoor work in the afternoon as the country contends with extreme heat.

And in Brussels, the Atomium monument, with its distinctive stainless steel spheres, limited its hours to close earlier than usual because of scorching temperatures.

The heatwave that has blanketed much of Europe is expected to linger over the continent this week, driving up temperatures to higher-than-normal levels and offering little reprieve.

Already, punishing heat has set records for June in Spain, Portugal, and England, upended sporting events and outdoor concerts, and brought unbearable conditions.

“Western Europe is under the influence of a strong high-pressure system, trapping dry air from northern Africa over the region and leading to extreme heat, which is having a major impact on all aspects of daily life,” the World Meteorological Organisation said yesterday NZT.

The heatwave is the result of what is known as a heat dome – a powerful area of high pressure in the atmosphere – that is anchored over Europe.

It causes air to sink, compress and warm, suppresses cloud cover and leads to abundant sunshine, contributing to blistering heat.

The core of the most intense heat will stretch from France into Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany today before moving farther east, towards Poland, tomorrow.

Temperatures across Western Europe are forecast to cool late in the week, though another surge of above-average temperatures is expected this weekend. The heat dome may weaken more substantially next week.

Sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean remain at about 5C above average, according to European Union data.

The Eiffel Tower can withstand heat, increasing in size by a few millimetres and tilting away from the sun in steamier weather. But the tower’s summit was closed all day for the past three days, according to the tower’s website.

“Due to the current heatwave, the Eiffel Tower is taking measures to ensure the comfort and safety of our visitors and staff,” the alert read.

Access to the first and second floors was still possible, but visitors without prebooked tickets were asked to postpone their visits.

Paris is expected to reach a high of 34C today, while areas in eastern France will see highs of up to 39C, according to official forecasts. Parts of France remain under the highest heatwave alert level.

At Wimbledon, spectators – including the actress Cate Blanchett and soccer star David Beckham – attempted to stave off the heat by cooling themselves with hand-held fans and sheltering under umbrellas.

One fan got inventive, wearing a Wimbledon cap that had incorporated a solar-powered fan. Players were issued specially made ice towels.

In Italy, regions of Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy banned work outdoors from 12.30pm to 4pm local time, joining other regions such as Sicily that have taken the precautionary measures amid temperatures that have soared above 35C.

Heatwaves, linked to human-caused climate change, have a more pronounced effect on urban dwellers, according to the World Meteorological Organisation, and cities that have an abundance of pavement, buildings, vehicles and other heat sources tend to become much hotter than rural areas.

They are becoming more common in Europe, the agency said, with more than two-thirds of the most severe heatwaves on the continent since 1950 having occurred since 2000.