For the second time in less than three weeks, France is bracing for a blistering heatwave that Météo-France warns could send temperatures above 38 °C in the Paris Basin and Rhône Valley between 17 and 22 June. Fifty-two departments were placed on yellow alert Wednesday afternoon, with forecasters hinting an upgrade to orange for the Île-de-France as early as Thursday. Rail infrastructure manager SNCF Réseau confirmed it has activated a ‘canicule’ protocol: speed limits of 160 km/h on high-speed lines where track temperature is forecast to exceed 55 °C and inspection patrols every four hours. The measures typically add 10–25 minutes to TGV journeys but reduce the risk of rail buckle. Regional authorities in Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine have already announced free early-morning TER services to encourage commuters to travel outside peak heat. Airlines operating out of Marseille and Toulouse have been advised by the DGAC to anticipate possible payload restrictions on single-aisle aircraft if runway surface temperatures top 49 °C, while Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle is stockpiling portable air-conditioning units for jet-bridges after cooling failures during the 2025 heatwave. Ride-hailing platforms Bolt and Uber have introduced surge-cap price caps in the capital to avoid accusations of ‘heat-wave gouging’. Beyond immediate transport tweaks, the episode reignites debate about France’s climate-proofing of critical mobility assets. Only 32 % of SNCF rolling stock currently has dual air-conditioning compressors suited for 45 °C ambient heat, and fewer than half of the 4,000 bus shelters in Greater Paris provide shade. The Ministry for Ecological Transition said it will publish a ‘transport resilience roadmap’ in July. For employers managing inbound assignments or summer-season rotations, contingency advice includes shifting client meetings to early hours, validating hotel HVAC standards in advance, and reminding expatriates of heat-related sick-leave provisions introduced after the lethal 2022 wave. The impacts may be short-lived, but they are a stark reminder that climate adaptation is now integral to global mobility planning in France.
Source: Le Monde
