Heatwave in Paris disrupts travel plans for Finnish visitors

Finnish tourists returning from Paris told Yle that extreme heat forced them to abandon sightseeing plans, with temperatures nearing 40°C.

Reetta Venäläinen of Helsinki said the heat in Paris felt unbearable. She spent two of her hottest days indoors with air conditioning, leaving some plans unfulfilled. “A week was enough,” she said.

Mariia Butina of Espoo and Elena Volkova of Helsinki described the heat as oppressive, particularly during the day, making it difficult to breathe or move around the city. Butina missed visiting Notre-Dame Cathedral entirely. The women relied on water, sunscreen, and fans to cope.

Meanwhile, Roy Nyström of Porvoo and Jussi-Pekka Leppänen of Askola, heading to London for work, were relieved to see forecasts of 40°C drop. Nyström called such heat “terrible,” though their air-conditioned car would help. Leppänen recalled a similarly sweltering trip to Rome in August, where they still managed to visit all planned sites by staying hydrated.