France's Eiffel Tower to close early due to heatwave

PARIS -- The Eiffel Tower in Paris closed early on Tuesday due to forecast high temperatures, according to an official alert issued by the landmark's management.

The monument exceptionally closed at 4:00 pm local time (1400 GMT) on Tuesday, with the last entry scheduled for 12:15 pm(1015 GMT), it said on the official website.

Visitors holding tickets for time slots starting from 11:30 a.m. (0930 GMT) for the stairs and 12:00 pm (1000 GMT) for the lifts will receive automatic refunds, it said.

"We are forced to adapt to the extreme heat. The priority is the safety of our staff and visitors," the Eiffel Tower operating company Sete (Societe d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel) was quoted as saying by French daily Le Figaro.

Due to the ongoing heatwave, the Louvre Museum also announced Tuesday that it would exceptionally close at 4:00 pm (1400 GMT) instead of its usual 6:00 pm (1600 GMT) from June 24 to June 27.

France is experiencing an intense heatwave, with temperatures expected to remain exceptionally high until at least Thursday, Meteo-France said on Tuesday. According to the national weather service, temperatures in Paris reached 36 degrees Celsius at 4 pm on Tuesday, while the French capital is expected to see highs of up to 38 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

According to Meteo-France, 54 departments in mainland France were placed under red heatwave alert, the highest alert level, on Tuesday, while 35 departments were placed under orange alert.