A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
Europe is in the midst of a historic heat wave. Temperatures on much of the continent will climb past 100 degrees Fahrenheit today, and perhaps nowhere will feel quite as hot as parts of France. From Paris, NPR's Rebecca Rosman tells us more.
REBECCA ROSMAN, BYLINE: Here in France, the heat keeps building, and so do the warnings.
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UNIDENTIFIED METEOROLOGIST: (Speaking French).
ROSMAN: On French television channel TF1, meteorologists warned that more than half of the country would be on red alert Tuesday, the highest warning for severe temperatures. This latest heat wave, now in its seventh day, is expected to persist across Europe through at least Saturday, hitting parts of Spain, Italy, even the U.K. In Paris, the high is expected to reach a whopping 104 degrees Fahrenheit Tuesday, 30 degrees hotter than average temperatures for this time of year. And in a city where air conditioning remains hard to come by, people have been improvising to stay cool.
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ROSMAN: Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire has temporarily opened some of the city's canals for swimming. Parks are open 24 hours. Misting stations have been set up in public spaces, including around the Eiffel Tower.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Speaking French).
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Speaking French).
ROSMAN: But for some people, there is no escape.
HAMZA ATOUI: (Speaking French).
ROSMAN: Hamza Atoui (ph), who runs this boulangerie on the north side of Paris, has been baking bread since 3 a.m. this morning. He says it's been difficult for him and for the baked goods. In this weather, even the pastries are starting to lose their shape. The extreme temperatures are being driven by hot air coming north from the Sahara, combined with a dome of high pressure that is trapping heat in place. More than 1,300 schools across France were closed on Monday. At least 40 people have drowned in the last five days, according to the French government. Many of them were teenagers who were swimming in unsupervised areas.
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STEPHANIE RIST: (Speaking French).
ROSMAN: Speaking on TF1 earlier this week, France's health minister, Stephanie Rist, issued this direct warning.
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RIST: (Speaking French).
ROSMAN: "A lot of people are going to suffer," she said. And now the response has reached the highest levels of government. France's prime minister called another crisis meeting with ministers Tuesday as the country braced for several more days of dangerous heat.
ROSMAN: Rebecca Rosman, NPR News, Paris.
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