France shuts three nuclear reactors amid heatwave

Three nuclear reactors in France have been shut down and eight others are running at reduced capacity due to soaring river temperatures amid a severe heatwave. The heatwave has forced closures and shortened hours at major Paris landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Orsay Museum.

Paris: Three nuclear reactors in France have been shut down, and eight others are operating at reduced power amid the ongoing heatwave, local media reported.

French daily Le Parisien on Sunday quoted state-owned electric utility company EDF as saying that the reactors were taken offline “because of the weather conditions and in order to comply with regulations governing thermal discharges and therefore protect the environment”.

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High river temperatures can limit the ability of nuclear power plants to use river water for cooling, requiring operators to reduce output or temporarily halt operations to meet environmental regulations, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a report released on Thursday, Meteo-France said that, following the exceptional heatwave that swept France in late June, scorching temperatures are once again spreading across much of the country.

On Sunday, the national weather agency placed 37 departments under its highest-level red heatwave alert since 12 p.m. local time (1000 GMT), warning that temperatures in the affected areas could reach between 37 degrees and 41 degrees Celsius.

On Sunday, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said in an interview with French television channel BFM TV that 139 people had died from drowning since June 19, an increase of 18 per cent compared with the same period last year.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris announced on its official website on Saturday that it will close at 4 p.m. (1400 GMT) on Saturday and Sunday due to soaring temperatures, instead of its regular closing time of 00:45 am (2245 GMT) the following day.

The Louvre Museum and the Orsay Museum in Paris have also shortened their opening hours. The Louvre will close at 4 p.m. (1400 GMT) through July 13, while the Orsay Museum will close at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) through July 15.

According to French media reports, around one-quarter of France is under a red alert for extreme heat. Meteo-France forecast a high of 36 degrees Celsius in Paris on Saturday, with temperatures in some other parts of the country expected to reach 39 to 40 degrees Celsius. The current heatwave is expected to persist until the middle of next week.