“You Put on a T-Shirt, Stop Complaining and That’s It”: Daniel Riolo Says the French Are Overreacting to the Heat
France is facing an unusually early and intense heatwave, with Météo-France warning that temperatures could approach 39°C in the coming days. The orange heat alert expanded on Tuesday to include Côtes-d’Armor, joining eight other western departments already under warning: Finistère, Morbihan, Manche, Ille-et-Vilaine, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Vendée and Loire-Atlantique. On Wednesday at midday, four more Atlantic-facing departments are due to move to orange status: Deux-Sèvres, Charente, Charente-Maritime and Gironde. A yellow alert also now covers 29 additional departments in the southeast, as well as Andorra.
Meteorologists describe the episode as exceptional, historic and unprecedented for late May. The heat has already broken local monthly records, after a record-setting Monday. On Tuesday afternoon, temperatures reached 33.3°C in Brest, 31.9°C in Saint-Brieuc and 31.9°C in Gonneville, erasing previous marks set just a day earlier. Authorities say the heatwave should continue at least through the weekend and gradually spread eastward across the country.
The situation has already had serious consequences, with seven deaths reported so far. The heat is being driven by a strong “heat dome” that is trapping very warm air over France, keeping temperatures elevated from Brittany to Gironde. Government officials have said this may be only the first major heatwave of the year.
The extreme weather sparked debate on the television program Estelle Midi on Tuesday, May 26, where panelists discussed whether schools should close because of the heat. Sports journalist Daniel Riolo reacted angrily to the discussion, mocking what he called excessive “blabla” and “délirants” debates around high temperatures. He dismissed calls for special aid or emergency measures for heat, arguing that people should simply adapt, as they do in countries such as Spain and Italy. His remarks drew disagreement from fellow commentators and listeners.
Scientists and climate experts say the growing frequency, intensity and early arrival of heatwaves are directly linked to global warming caused by human activity and the burning of fossil fuels. Europe has warmed faster than any other continent since 1990, according to NOAA data, with Asia following closely behind.
In France, the government is preparing a response. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is scheduled to chair an interministerial meeting on Thursday to review state readiness for the heatwave and coordinate services as temperatures remain dangerously high. The alert remains in place as the country braces for several more days of severe heat and possible further records.
