A driving ban is being imposed on high polluting vehicles in Paris from today (Tuesday) as France faces an extreme heatwave.
Motorists who violate the rule must pay €68, while coach and truck drivers risk to be fined €135.
The temperature is forecast to top the previous record temperature of 40.4 degrees celsius for July by Thursday.
The country’s meteorological services have put 59 departments, including Ile-de-France – Paris and its suburbs – under orange alert due to the soaring temperatures.
Only electric or hydrogen vehicles, petrol cars registered after January 2006 and diesel cars registered from January 2011 are allowed to circulate inside the Peripherique ring road, which is considered the city’s limits, amid fears that the heatwave will worsen air pollution.
The restriction is expected to affect about three million vehicles no longer allowed to drive from 5.30am.
Authorities have also ordered speed limits to be cut by 20 kilometres per hour in Paris and Ile-de-France amid high levels of ozone pollution linked to rising temperatures.
Driving bans for weather-related zones in and around the cities of Lyon, Villeurbane and Caluire-et-Cuire have also been activated.
More: European heatwave triggers travel alerts [June 19]
