00:14Imagine surviving one of the hottest days in French history with no electricity, no lifts,
00:22no phone charging, and in some buildings, no running water. That's the reality facing thousands
00:30of residents in Paris, as a relentless heatwave and severe storms cripple parts of the city's
00:37power network. Thousands of households across Paris remain without electricity after extreme
00:44heat and overnight storms overwhelmed parts of France's power grid. Electricity operator,
00:51Enidus, says around 7,800 homes continue to experience outages as repair crews race to
00:59restore power. But for many residents, the blackout has become much more than an inconvenience.
01:06Several described the experience as one of the most difficult they have faced in years.
01:12One resident said the situation even reminded them of the COVID-19 lockdowns.
01:18My mom is 80 years old. She lives on the 10th floor. She's been completely on her own in the
01:24flat since 5 p.m. yesterday. My brother has gone to be with her, but apart from that,
01:30I haven't been able to go up because 10 floors is difficult for me. And there's no water,
01:36no electricity. It reminds me of COVID, but it's worse. Because during COVID, we had means of
01:42communication. Here, there's nothing. We're cut off. My mom is cut off from the world now.
01:49France has endured an extraordinary spell of weather. After 5 days of unusually high temperatures
01:56in May, the country has now experienced an 11-day heat wave. On Wednesday, France recorded its national
02:04average temperature since records began in 1947. The national average reached 30 degrees Celsius,
02:12breaking previous records. The intense heat has exposed vulnerabilities in infrastructure.
02:19Unlike many other countries, air conditioning remains uncommon in French homes. Many schools and
02:26residential buildings were never designed to cope with prolonged extreme temperatures.
02:31For families already dealing with the heat, the blackout has made daily life even harder.
02:39Caregiver Fabrice Zaadi says he has been staying with his elderly mother, who has become increasingly
02:45frightened. This power cut situation is quite complicated. It's not straightforward at all.
02:53My mom is panicking. She's scared and everything. I have to stay with her. So for now,
02:58I'm doing the shopping and just taking it day by day. Others say uncertainty has added to the frustration.
03:06Resident Anne Cecile Berth says she received conflicting information about when electricity would be
03:13restored. After spending an entire night without power, the family resorted to candles for light.
03:20It started yesterday, just before 7 p.m. The power went out. We've been living without electricity since then.
03:28We lit candles. Thankfully, we have gas so we can cook, but we have no electricity. The phones are out
03:35of
03:36battery now, so it's getting difficult. We didn't think it would last this long. Yes, you realize that
03:42nothing is adapted and that we are not ready to cope with this kind of heat and with heat waves.
03:47You realize that climate change is real and that we are not doing what is needed to take it into
03:53account.
03:54It's the residents who suffer. And in cities, it's even worse because of the tarmac and all the heat
04:00that builds up. Repair crews continue working across affected neighborhoods, but officials warn
04:07restoration could take time in some locations. Climate experts say Europe is experiencing
04:13increasingly frequent and intense heat waves linked to rising global temperatures. They warn that
04:20aging electricity infrastructure faces growing pressure during prolonged periods of extreme heat.
04:26For many Parisians, the blackout has become a stark reminder that climate extremes are no longer
04:33future scenarios, but everyday realities affecting millions across Europe. As temperatures remain
04:41dangerously high, residents now hope electricity returns before another scorching day begins.
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