Popular city bans public alcohol amid heat wave as people take risks to cool down

Paris officials have opened a supervised swimming area in the Canal Saint-Martin’s Récollets basin, pictured here, during periods of extreme heat.(Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelghani Alsayed/Anadolu)

Thepublic safetypush comes as much of France swelters under red heat alerts, with temperatures in parts of the country forecast to top 104 degrees, the AP reported.

At least 40 people have drowned in France over the past five days as the country faces a severe heat wave, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said Tuesday during an emergency cabinet meeting.

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Many of the victims were young people, including teenagers, who had been swimming in areas without lifeguard supervision.

Marina Ferrari, French minister of Sport, Youth and Community Life, said Tuesday in a French radio interview that most of the drownings happened in bodies of water such as lakes and canals.

“During heat waves like this,” Ferrari said, “it’s no small matter to go swimming in areas that aren’t supervised.”

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In Paris,crowds have flockedto the Canal Saint-Martin, where people were seen diving from bridges and swimming in the water, according to Euronews.

In Paris, crowds have descended on the Canal Saint-Martin during the relentless heat.(Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelghani Alsayed/Anadolu)

Officials are urging people to avoid the hottest parts of the day,drink waterregularly and check on vulnerable neighbors, AP reported.

Canal Saint-Martin’s Récollets basin is open during periods of extreme heat, giving residents and tourists a designated place to cool off. 

The free swimming area opened June 17 and is staffed by lifeguards, according to Sortir à Paris.

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Outside of designated swimming areas, officials have warned that the search for relief can become dangerous. 

A view of the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris shows a swimmer diving into the water from an unapproved location during the heat wave.(Arnaud Finistre/AFP via Getty Images)

Multiple drowningshave been reported across Europe as people seek out any available body of water during the heat wave.

In England, four teenagers drowned in lakes and reservoirs during a recent hot spell, prompting one grieving father to warn families about the dangers of children playing near rivers and lakes, per Channels Television.

French media reported that four children have drowned during the heat wave.In Germany, one man drowned and three others were reported missing after swimming in the Rhine River, AP reported.

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A man is pictured cooling off in a fountain in Berlin, Germany, as temperatures rose precipitously.(Halil Sagirkaya/Anadolu)

The heat has disrupted travel and daily life across Europe.In France, trains, concerts and sporting events were reportedly canceled as authorities warned residents and tourists tostay hydrated.

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At the Eiffel Tower and other popular Paris venues, misting stations were set up to help crowds cope, per AP.

 A tourist dips his hands into the cool water of the fountain in front of the historic Pantheon Basilica to escape the scorching heat in Rome, Italy.(Claudia Chieppa/Anadolu)

In Rome, tourists dunked their arms and faces into the city’s famous fountains, while visitors at Milan Fashion Week hid under parasols.

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A tourist at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy, uses a parasol for shade during a sweltering day.(Li Jing/Xinhua)

TheWorld Health Organization’s Europe office said this month that more than 200,000 people across Europe have died from heat-related causes over the last four years.