Paris heat wave turns zinc‑roofed attic apartments into deadly ovens

A record‑breaking heat wave in June has pushed daytime temperatures in Paris to near‑40 °C, turning the city’s iconic zinc‑covered rooftops into heat‑trapping ovens for residents of attic apartments.

Twenty‑three‑year‑old Amelie Kenney, an Australian graduate, and her Italian partner Francesca Pilia live on the sixth‑floor walk‑up of a building with a single west‑facing window. The rent is €735 a month, but the apartment becomes unbearably hot, with only a small fan and cold water providing limited relief.

Public‑health data shows that living directly beneath a zinc roof raises the risk of heat‑related death by more than four times, a figure first highlighted after the 2003 European heat wave that caused about 15,000 deaths. A 2023 Lancet Planetary Health study found Paris has the highest heat‑related mortality risk among 30 European capitals.

Housing advocates argue that zoning rules protecting Paris’s historic skyline and zinc roofs prevent owners from adding insulation, shutters, or other cooling measures, leaving vulnerable tenants—often students and low‑income renters—exposed to extreme heat.