PARIS (AP) — Before the heat struck, Amelie Kenney could boast that she almost had it all: a tiny but cheap top-floor apartment in Paris, with an enviable view from its minuscule balcony of the French capital's iconic gray roofs and even, when she leans out far enough, up to the Sacré-Cœur basilica atop Montmartre.
But with a historic heat wave making attic apartments like hers potentially hazardous for health, the 23-year-old recent graduate isn't feeling quite so fortunate.
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A woman holds a fan as the roofs of Paris are seen background, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/John Leicester)
Amelie Kenney, right, plays piano in the attic apartment she shares with her partner Francesca Pilia, in Paris, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/John Leicester)
A view of roofs of Paris, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/John Leicester)
Amelie Kenney, right, and her partner Francesca Pilia stand on the balcony of the attic apartment they shares in Paris, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/John Leicester)
“It’s been the worst week that we’ve had in this apartment,” she said this week as the capital and other parts of Europe roasted. “It’s just baking in the whole afternoon and it’s impossible to just get a respite.”
Many of Paris' buildings that look so picturesque from the outside are proving to be hostile, even dangerous for health, during the unrelenting record heat that is turning both the long summer days and short sweaty nights into battles.
That's particularly true for those living directly under the roofs of Paris — who often cannot afford larger, lower-floor apartments less impacted by direct sun.
Extreme heat can make them deadly. A study of a record-breaking 2003 heat wave blamed for 15,000 heat-related deaths found that living in a Paris attic room directly under the roof increased the risk of death by more than fourfold, France's public health agency said in a report last year.
And researchers who studied heat-related deaths in European cities for a study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal in 2023 found that Paris had the highest risks of heat-related deaths out of 30 European capitals they looked at.
About three-quarters of Paris rooftops use sheets of zinc as covering, producing the city's magnificent gray vistas that have long inspired artists and filmmakers. The tradecraft of its zinc roofers is recognized as a valued cultural heritage for humanity by the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO. Zinc is weather-resistant, malleable and can be recycled. But as a metal, it also absorbs and conducts heat.
“People find the rooftops of Paris charming. There’s the image of the attic room. But in reality, when you look at who lives in these apartments, it’s often students paying a great deal of money for a small room,” said Maider Olivier, with The Foundation for Housing for the Disadvantaged campaign group.
“Not only are they extremely exposed to heat, but it’s also impossible to create cross-ventilation to get rid of the heat at night.”
In the sixth-floor walk-up that Kenney shares with her partner, Francesca Pilia, also 23, they've squeezed a desk, a double bed and a small electric piano. The apartment's one window, protruding from the zinc roof, faces west, putting it in direct sun from midday to dusk. They split the rent of 735 euros ($835) a month.
“It was the cheapest place to be,” Kenney said. “I like that it looks out onto the square. I can see marriages almost every Saturday morning.”
“But now I think if I could spend extra money to be somewhere else, I would.”
Although office blocks, shopping centers, cinemas and other modern places where people congregate often have air conditioning, private apartments rarely do, especially in densely populated central Paris with its classic Haussmann-style buildings — named after the 19th century urban planner who transformed the city, giving it wide, tree-lined avenues and much of its architectural look.
Olivier, the housing campaigner, said that zoning regulations intended to preserve Paris' character, including its signature rooftops, hinder efforts to adapt housing to extreme heat.
“There are people who are unable to insulate their roofs or install shutters to block the sun and prevent their homes from overheating because of regulations to protect the rooftops,” she said. “But these regulations which protect the rooftops of Paris do not protect the people who live beneath those rooftops.”
Kenney, from Australia, and Pilia, who's Italian, are no strangers to heat. But the temperatures in Paris — with record highs for June nudging past 40 C (104 F) during the day and 25 C (77 F) at night — have been grueling.
They've invested in a small electric fan, take cold showers, sponge themselves down with a wet rag, hydrate, and battle with the dilemma of whether to keep their window open.
“I’ll wake up and I’ll decide, it’s too hot, I have to open the window,” Kenney said. “An hour later, I wake up, I say, ‘It is too loud, I have to close the window.’”
“It’s a very, very Kafkaesque cycle.”
A woman holds a fan as the roofs of Paris are seen background, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/John Leicester)
Amelie Kenney, right, plays piano in the attic apartment she shares with her partner Francesca Pilia, in Paris, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/John Leicester)
A view of roofs of Paris, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/John Leicester)
Amelie Kenney, right, and her partner Francesca Pilia stand on the balcony of the attic apartment they shares in Paris, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/John Leicester)
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Powerful back-to-back earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday evening killed at least 32 people and injured at least 700, the nation's acting president said, as communities across the South American country sustained damage.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez warned the toll was expected to rise as rescuers search collapsed buildings and emergency crews reach devastated areas after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that struck shortly after 6 p.m.
Rodríguez declared a state of emergency in an address to the nation late Wednesday and said the quakes caused damage in several states. The casualty figures released early Thursday excluded the state of La Guaira, which Rodríguez described as a “disaster zone” and the area hardest hit.
“Dozens of buildings have collapsed there, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Caracas, and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,” she said.
The earthquakes, among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century, roiled the region, with buildings evacuated in cities and areas impacted as far as Brazil’s Amazon about 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) from Venezuela's capital Caracas.
Venezuela’s state-run VTV showed footage early Thursday of three children, covered in dust but alive, being pulled from the rubble in hard-hit La Guaira. The broadcaster also said a hospital in the city of Tucacas, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of Caracas, suffered damage and showed images of dozens of people in what seemed like medical garb in front of the building.
The earthquakes damaged and closed Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas, the country’s main airport, Rodríguez said, adding that subway and natural gas services in Caracas were canceled. She urged Venezuelans to report any damages through a government app.
Rodríguez said school classes would be canceled for several days. The Ministry of Education said some school buildings would be used as shelters and donation centers.
“We urge our population to remain calm,” said Rodríguez, who asked health care professionals to report to hospitals to assist the injured. “We urge unity.”
The U.S. Geological Survey initially said the first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1, later revising that to 7.2. Its epicenter was west of Morón on the country’s Caribbean coast about 168 kilometers (104 miles) west of Caracas. The quake had a depth of 22 kilometers (13.6 miles).
The USGS reported an even larger 7.5-magnitude earthquake just a minute later. The second quake had a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) with an epicenter 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of Morón.
In the coastal state of Falcon, Gov. Víctor Clark said 32 people had been hospitalized and there were 15 people trapped in the hours after the earthquake.
Offers of help were made by various governments including the United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay.
U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said in a post on X early Thursday that the United States is “immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.”
Jeremy P. Lewin, the U.S. undersecretary of state for foreign assistance, said the State Department had mobilized a disaster assistance team and task force to coordinate aid in coordination with the interim Venezuelan government.
Rodríguez said Thursday that Qatar had already sent rescuers who were expected in Venezuela the next day, along with rescue personnel from Mexico and El Salvador.
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, once diametrically opposed to Venezuela’s government, said in a post on X Wednesday night that he had offered aid.
“We send you all our solidarity and our prayers. Stay strong, Venezuela,” Bukele wrote.
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa said he had ordered the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to help respond to the emergency.
“Ecuador will respond with the speed and commitment this moment demands because, despite our enormous differences, humanity must always guide the actions of a leader,” Noboa wrote.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz, who less than a week ago declared a state of emergency in his country following weeks of anti-government protests, said his country stood ready to provide any needed assistance.
The administration of Brazil President Luiz Inácio da Silva expressed solidarity and said no Brazilians reported being injured.
Television broadcasts Thursday showed images of rescue workers using power tools on collapsed structures.
During the quakes, people evacuated swaying buildings in Caracas, many visibly shocked as they saw collapsed walls that left furniture visible from the street. Dust columns could be seen in two capital neighborhoods with typically busy restaurants and other businesses.
People remained on the streets for hours, some sitting on the ground hugging pets as dust gathered around them. Collapsed buildings, toppled electric poles and debris blocked streets. Parts of the capital lost power and cellphone signal.
“It started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together,” Caracas resident Hector Ricci said.
Roberto Gamas, another Caracas resident, said the building he was in “really shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong.”
The lack of cellphone signal in parts of Venezuela deepened the distress of many families, particularly those among the more than 7.7 million people who have left the country during its protracted crisis.
Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado, in exile after leaving Venezuela in December, took to X to send prayers and wish strength to Venezuelans.
“May strength, serenity, and solidarity prevail among us in the face of this difficult time,” she said on X.
Venezuela Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said the quake could be felt in several states and asked motorists to give way to ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
“We understand that some people may be desperate, but we are acting according to protocols to activate aid and rescue efforts to help those who need it most,” Cabello said, urging people to remain outside as aftershocks could further damage structures. “Be very careful with children and the elderly. Call each other and check that no one has been harmed.”
Buildings in Manaus, Belem and Macapá in Brazil's Amazon were evacuated, according to reports on TV Globo. The quakes also were felt in Colombia’s Caribbean and northeast regions, but there were no reports of damages or injuries.
The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued several tsumani alerts in the wake of the earthquakes that were quickly lifted.
Strong earthquakes are unusual in Venezuela. While the country sits near multiple fault lines, its position straddling the South American and Caribbean plates make earthquakes much less common than in other parts of Latin America.
Earthquakes are frequent along the Pacific coast, including in Mexico and Chile, which both sit along the seismically active tectonic belt known as the Ring of Fire, an area that the USGS said is responsible for 90% of earthquakes.
Garcia Cano reported from Bogota, Colombia. Associated Press writers Clara Preve in Buenos Aires, Astrid Suarez in Bogota, Colombia, Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo and Anna-Catherine Brigida, Megan Janetsky and India Grant in Mexico City, Cristina Fuentes in Madrid and Maria Teresa Hernandez in Beijing contributed to this report.
A boy comforts his mother after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)
A man holding a dog cries after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Campos)
Rescue workers search through the rubble after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.(AP Photo/Javier Campos)
Rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building after earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Rescue worker carry an injured man after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
