French people are rushing to buy air conditioners ahead of a new heatwave arriving this weekend, following record-breaking severe heat experienced last month.
Foreign news agencies reported that on 2 Jul 2026, hundreds of people in France flocked to Lidl supermarkets in and around Paris to buy cheap air conditioners before the next heatwave hit the capital, resulting in pushing, shoving, and chaotic disputes.
Lidl supermarkets offered basic air conditioners at a discounted price as low as 179 euros, while few other places sold them below 1,200 euros, prompting many to rush for purchases and causing disorder that required police intervention at least twice.
Moussa Traore, who waited over an hour with about 200 other customers at a small Lidl branch in northern Paris, said he was informed only two units were available. “Then the police arrived, and we were told there were none left. I think the officers probably took them,” he said with a laugh.
France recently endured a record-breaking severe heatwave that caused thousands of deaths, overwhelmed hospitals, forced school closures, and led to cancellations of music festivals. The meteorological department has now forecasted another intense heatwave for the upcoming weekend.
Because summers in France are usually quite mild, most homes and schools do not have air conditioning, leaving them unprepared for increasingly frequent heatwaves, which scientists link to human-caused climate change.
Meanwhile, hundreds more flocked to supermarkets in the Sevran area, where vehicle queues blocked traffic in the northern suburb, with similar scenes reported in nearby Livry-Gargan.
“I give up. This is crazy. I had to park several blocks away and walk here, only to find long lines filling the parking lot. It’s impossible,” said Lolo, a local resident, to AFP.
This surge in demand for air conditioners comes amid long-standing skepticism about their use in France.
A public opinion survey of over 1,000 people published last June showed that 8 out of 10 consider air conditioners harmful to the environment.
However, this attitude seems to be shifting as rising temperatures cause air conditioners to sell out rapidly from shelves.
Alexandre Bompard, CEO of Carrefour hypermarkets, revealed that during the heatwave on 22 June, the store sold 30,000 air conditioners by 6:30 p.m., “a thousand times more than on a normal day.”
Data from the State Environment Agency (Ademe) shows the proportion of French households with air conditioners increased from 18% in 2023 to 24% in 2025.
Additionally, air conditioner use has become a political indicator in France, with far-right opposition criticizing the government’s lack of preparedness for extreme heat, while environmentalists warn about the enormous energy consumption from air conditioning.
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Source:cna