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European heatwave sends French residents scrambling for fans and air conditioners

Only 18 to 26 per cent of French households had air conditioning in April.

Published: 6:24pm, 2 Jul 2026Updated: 6:24pm, 2 Jul 2026

June’s historic heatwave across Europe has sparked a rush to buy air conditioners and fans. Several retailers saw shortages of cooling appliances, including Darty, a major electronics chain in France, where products at some of its branches sold out within 30 minutes.

European heatwave sends French residents scrambling for fans and air conditioners

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Only 18 to 26 per cent of French households had air conditioning in April.

Only 18 to 26 per cent of French households had air conditioning in April.