Chaotic scenes have unfolded at supermarkets across France as shoppers fight over discounted air conditioners ahead of another heatwave.

Hundreds of people descended on Lidl supermarkets in and around Paris on Thursday after the retailer put around 200,000 discounted air conditioners and fans on sale nationwide. 

With few air conditioners available elsewhere for less than €1,200 ($1,400), shoppers rushed to buy basic models priced from €179, prompting police intervention after scuffles and shouting matches broke out.

Videos show crowds storming stores, wrestling over air conditioners, and stripping shelves within minutes as demand quickly outstripped supply.

Some customers reportedly lined up before dawn but still left empty-handed. In Nanterre, more than 100 people gathered outside one Lidl outlet, damaging the entrance. Similar scenes were reported in Yvelines, Essonne, and other parts of the Paris region.

Social media users complained that some stores only received a handful of air conditioners despite attracting hundreds of customers. One user claimed that a Lidl outlet in Paris’s 14th arrondissement received just two units despite drawing more than 400 people.

The scramble comes amid a record-breaking heatwave in France, where temperatures exceeded 40C in many areas and the country recorded its hottest day on record last week. The extreme weather forced schools to close, strained hospitals, disrupted transportation, and reduced electricity generation.

France’s public health agency has estimated that the late-June heatwave caused around 1,000 excess deaths. At the peak, daily deaths rose above 1,200, compared with a pre-heatwave average of around 900 to 1,000 a day. Officials have warned that the death toll could increase.

The buying frenzy has also reignited the debate over the country’s limited use of air conditioning, with only around a quarter of households equipped with air conditioners. A recent Ipsos poll found that 78% of French people believe it is harmful to the environment; one in six said they would rather endure the heat for the sake of the planet.

Environmentalists have warned that widespread use of air conditioning will increase the demand for electricity and intensify urban heat, while tourists and social media influencers have mocked Paris for lacking air conditioning amid temperatures exceeding 40C.

Some opposition politicians accused the government of being unprepared for the crisis, with left-wing MP Clemence Guette calling the management of the heatwave “a disaster.”

Green lawmakers reportedly filed a no-confidence motion on Thursday over the government’s handling of the latest heatwave, as another is expected in the coming days.

Government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon dismissed the move as a “political maneuver,” saying the authorities are managing the crisis while opponents are seeking to exploit it.