As an intense heatwave continues to scorch France, scenes of panic were witnessed at a store in Chambery, where a massive crowd of customers rushed inside as soon as the doors opened to grab air conditioners.
Videos circulating on social media captured shoppers hurrying through aisles and crowding around cooling units in a desperate bid to cope with the sweltering temperatures. The rush quickly turned chaotic, leaving bystanders visibly surprised.
Watch The Video Here
🚨🇫🇷 FLASH | La chaleur rend-elle complètement fou ? À Chambéry, des dizaines de clients se sont rués vers les climatiseurs dès l’ouverture d’un magasin. Entre bousculades, tensions et course dans les rayons, la scène a rapidement dégénéré sous les yeux des personnes présentes.…
pic.twitter.com/QxELU0eYOz
— Cpasdeslol (@cpasdeslol_X) June 25, 2026
The footage, shared on X by @cpasdeslol_X, has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with many users describing the spectacle as unusual for France, where such heat-induced buying frenzies are uncommon.
The scramble for cooling appliances comes amid a broader European heat crisis that has sent temperatures soaring and exposed millions to dangerous conditions.
Heatwave In France
France has been among the countries hardest hit by the ongoing spell. Paris has recorded more days above 40 degrees Celsius this week than it did during the entire period from 1872 to 2019, highlighting the exceptional nature of the current heatwave.
Weather experts attribute the prolonged heat to a “heat dome”, a high-pressure system that traps warm air near the surface, leading to cloudless skies, intense sunshine and persistently high temperatures.
France’s average temperature this week climbed to 29.8 degrees Celsius, setting a new record based on combined daytime and nighttime readings collected from weather stations nationwide.
The heatwave has also tightened its grip on parts of Italy and Spain, regions that historically experienced such prolonged periods of extreme heat far less frequently.
/images/ppid_59c68470-image-178247010332780546.webp)
/images/ppid_59c68470-image-178246003069745458.webp)
