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France is heading to Spain to find out how we cope with the heat after a brutal heatwave across the border left the country reeling. Over the past week, soaring temperatures have caused more than 1,000 extra deaths in France compared to what's normal for this time of year, alongside a spike in drownings and medical emergencies.

 

The crisis has reignited debate in France over whether its buildings and infrastructure are fit for such extreme heat, and the government has decided there's no harm in taking a leaf out of Spain's book.

 

French Labour Minister Jean-Pierre Farandou announced on Monday that he'll be heading to Spain for what he called a "study trip," aiming to understand exactly how Spanish society has adapted to high temperatures over the years.

 

"In Madrid, with temperatures reaching 40°C, society functions. We have to accept that France in the summer is becoming like Spain. That's the way it is, and we must adapt as they do," he said, pointing to the fact that the typical Spanish summer working day runs from 8am to 3pm, a setup that's almost unheard of in France.

 

"We need to understand how it works, how they made this decision, and what it's like. Are they satisfied with the results?" he added.

 

Mr Farandou, who plans to bring union representatives along for the two or three day trip, also flagged up Spain's collective bargaining agreements, which allow work to be paused once certain temperatures are hit. He reckons something similar could help prepare French society for the kind of extended heatwaves that look set to become a regular summer fixture.

 

He went on to warn that France will need to brace itself for heatwaves that start earlier and last longer each year, which could mean rethinking the timing of sporting and cultural events, music festivals included, to avoid them getting cancelled because of the heat.

 

According to Mr Farandou, every sector and profession in France will need to "address the issue and reflect" on how to adapt, with talks set to begin with union representatives in September on what changes might follow.