‘It’s like a furnace’: French struggle with heat-trap homes as climate inequality grows

The Guardian UK Thursday 25 June 2026, 05:00 UTC By Angelique Chrisafis in Grigny 1 min read

Key Points

Many of France’s buildings are not designed for hot weather – and low-income housing estates are suffering the worstLiving in a sweltering, seventh-floor flat on a concrete housing estate south of Paris, Samira said she was feeling desperate as France experienced its highest temperatures on record this week. “Yesterday I sat down and cried, I thought I’m going to die,” said the 35-year-old single parent and former building caretaker. Her flat in Ris-Orangis in Essonne is, like millions of...

Many of France’s buildings are not designed for hot weather – and low-income housing estates are suffering the worst

Living in a sweltering, seventh-floor flat on a concrete housing estate south of Paris, Samira said she was feeling desperate as France experienced its highest temperatures on record this week. “Yesterday I sat down and cried, I thought I’m going to die,” said the 35-year-old single parent and former building caretaker.

Her flat in Ris-Orangis in Essonne is, like millions of apartments in France, poorly insulated and lacking in outside window shutters. “Blazing sun hits my windows all day – I can’t breathe, I feel dizzy, there is no air,” she said.

French (ORG) France (LOCATION) Paris (LOCATION) Samira (PERSON) Ris-Orangis (LOCATION) Essonne (ORG)

Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

In London, residents sought shade in parks and along the River Thames while transport operators warned of possible disruption to services. The Met Office said the heat could approach levels previously considered exceptional for June, prompting school closures across parts of England and Wales and renewed warnings for vulnerable people. In Belgium, the iconic Atomium in Brussels was temporarily closed after indoor temperatures became uncomfortably high during the heatwave, with the move taken...

Euronews 25m ago

Europe braced for another day of extreme heat as warnings issued across UK, France and Italy – live

UK June heat record could be broken for the second consecutive dayParis mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said there had been an “increase in mortality” in the capital owing to the heatwave, without giving any figures, AFP reported. He said “pretty much all our indicators are in a critical state”, including calls to emergency medical services, calls to the fire brigade, ER admissions, and deaths, he told local TV.

The Guardian World 29m ago

RSPCA warning for anyone who owns garden shed or greenhouse

RSPCA warning for anyone who owns garden shed or greenhouse The animal welfare charity has urged homeowners to check their sheds Homeowners across the UK are being urged to exercise caution whenever they use a garden shed, greenhouse, or summerhouse. According to the RSPCA, gardeners need to check their sheds in order to help keep animals safe.

Daily Mirror 31m ago

Why Germans don't have air conditioning

Why Germans don't have air conditioning June 25, 2026In countries like the United States, Australia and Japan, the hot, sticky summer months are made bearable by the blast of chilled air provided by a humming air conditioner. But across large parts of Europe, the solution is often decidedly low-tech: shut the shades, fire up the fan and keep plenty of ice water within reach. Around 90% of people living in the US have air conditioning at home, according to the US Department of Energy.

Deutsche Welle 48m ago

‘It’s like a furnace’: French struggle with heat-trap homes as climate inequality grows

Related Stories

Heatwave scorches Europe from London to Madrid as temperatures near 39C

Europe braced for another day of extreme heat as warnings issued across UK, France and Italy – live

RSPCA warning for anyone who owns garden shed or greenhouse

Why Germans don't have air conditioning