France is confronting its hottest night on record. In Paris, residents are seeking relief anywhere they can find it—some even taking the plunge into the Canal Saint-Martin, once notorious for pollution. Top-floor apartments with zinc roofs, built long before air conditioning became necessary, are becoming unbearable. As an unprecedented heat dome settles over western Europe, France faces a pressing question: should air conditioning be guaranteed for everyone? According to France 24, the country is divided over how to respond, with the debate exposing how ill-equipped older buildings are for modern climate extremes.

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