The Japan Times - Scorching heat shuts Paris landmarks early as France swelters

A deadly heatwave has battered France since last week, disrupting daily life as well as forcing school closures and train cancellations, with some of the most visited tourist sites in the world the latest to take precautionary measures.

The operator of the Eiffel Tower, a monument made of latticed steel girders, said the site would "exceptionally close" early on Tuesday at 4 pm (1400 GMT).

During the high season, starting in mid-June, the tower is open from 9 am to 12:45 am.

"Due to the high temperatures forecast, the Eiffel Tower will be adjusting its operations," said the operator.

It is "very likely" that the monument will close again early on Wednesday, the operator said, adding that visitors would be refunded for their tickets.

Seven million tourists pay to visit the 324-metre (1,063-foot) tower each year.

Unveiled in 1889 for the World Fair in Paris by engineer Gustave Eiffel, the "Iron Lady" has since become the French capital's symbol.

Shortly after the Eiffel Tower announcement, the Louvre management said the world's most visited museum would from Wednesday to Saturday close two hours early at 4 pm due to the heatwave.

Soaring temperatures in Paris have made "visiting and working conditions difficult during the hottest hours of the day", the management said, noting that "it is at the end of the day that heat builds up most, exacerbated by high visitor numbers".

Home to iconic pieces of art including Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", the Louvre receives around nine million visitors a year.

It is housed in a vast palace in central Paris on the banks of the Seine River, built over centuries by various French monarchs and presidents.

The management said on Tuesday the historic building is "vulnerable and is not sufficiently adapted to climate change".

Its director Christophe Leribault warned last week the museum was "running out of steam" as it struggles to find funding to upgrade its ageing facilities.

The museum has faced a litany of problems that recently included a brazen $100-million jewellery heist, a water leak and other maintenance issues.

Other tourist sites have also announced early closures or warnings as more than half of mainland France remains under the weather services' highest alert level.

The most visited tourist attraction outside of the capital region, Mont Saint Michel island in Normandy, on Tuesday warned visitors to "put off your visit during the red alert".

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M.Ito--JT