France is struggling with a severe heatwave these days. The mercury has crossed 40 in most of the cities here. The number of patients in hospitals has increased rapidly. In view of the situation, the French government has canceled many events, sports programs and trains. Apart from this, it has also banned drinking alcohol and roaming around on the streets this weekend.
Paris Police Chief Patrice Faure said that drinking alcohol in bright sunlight can have very bad effects. Dehydration may occur. In such a situation, we have banned drinking alcohol on the streets on weekends i.e. Friday. The Paris Pride march has been postponed, it will now be held in September.
Drinking alcohol banned on roads this weekend
The ban on drinking alcohol and roaming around drunk on the streets in Paris will be in effect this weekend starting from Friday afternoon till 7 am on Saturday. Then it will come into effect again from Saturday afternoon and will run till 7 am on Sunday. There will be a ban on the sale of takeaway liquor from shops and supermarkets. However, restaurants, bars and cafes where people can sit do not come under the purview of this ban and customers can sit and drink alcohol there.
There was a ban on drinking alcohol on the streets during the ‘Fête de la Musique’ in Paris last weekend. But during the cleanup in Paris after the festival, large quantities of beer cans and wine bottles were found. This clearly means that the rules made by the Paris administration were not followed at all.
Paris hospitals filled with patients
Due to the scorching heat, the number of patients suffering from dehydration and cardiac arrest has increased in the hospitals of Paris. French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said that the ambulance service in Paris recorded four times more cases of cardiac arrest than normal within 24 hours. Like many other cities in France, hospitals in Paris are also full and some patients are being treated in corridors. The city’s ambulance services are responding to 2,500 calls every day, double the normal number.
Mercury crossed 40 degrees in Paris
On Wednesday, June 24, the temperature in Paris reached 40.9°C, which is a record for the month of June. Even on Thursday 25th June it remained around 40°C. At least 55 people have drowned in France since the heatwave began and three small children have been found dead in hot cars. Out of the total population of 67 million people of France, more than 44 million people are in the grip of severe heatwave.
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