HEATWAVE LATEST: 37 parts of France on alert, school closures
37 départements in France are under red or orange alert level for the heatwave, with at least 18 million people impacted. Students in elementary and middle schools in the 12 départements at red alert will be able to stay home on Friday, June 17th.
As of Friday, June 17th, 37 départements in France are at red or orange alert level for the heatwave, with at least 18 million people impacted. This is the earliest heat wave ever recorded in France.
The Ministry of Education has also announced that primary and middle schools (collèges) in the 12 départements that are at the 'red' level will be able to stay home Friday, June 17th.
France's southwest regions are expected to exceed 40°C this Friday and the temperatures will continue to climb into Saturday, according to Météo-France. In Gironde, the département which contains Bordeaux and is on red alert, local authorities have banned "all public demonstrations outdoors or in non-air-conditioned premises" from Friday 2:00 pm due to high temperatures.
The red 'vigilance absolue' level is rarely declared for high temperatures, and is a warning that the heat can pose a serious risk to human health and life.
🔴 12 dpts en #vigilanceRouge
🔶 25 dpts en #vigilanceOrange
Restez informés sur https://t.co/rJ24zzDXpC pic.twitter.com/AUK0tXPzzY
— VigiMétéoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) June 16, 2022
The départements on red alert are; Tarn, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Tarn-et-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne, Landes, Gironde, Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres, Vienne and Vendée. The alert remains in place until 4pm on Friday.
People in those areas are advised to stay indoors, drink plenty of water and avoid taking exercise in the hottest part of the day. Businesses may also reschedule their day to ensure that workers are able to avoid the worst of the heat and schools may close.
Prime minister Elisabeth Borne tweeted warning people in France to "be careful - drink plenty of water, rest in the shade and take care of loved ones. In case of illness, contact the ambulance on 15."
Those on orange alert are; Aude, Ardèche, Ariège, Aveyron, Cantal, Cher, Creuse, Corrèze, Dordogne, Drôme, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Île-et-Vilaine, Loire-et-Cher, Loire-Atlantique, Lot, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Morbihan, Puy-de-Drôme, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Sarthe, Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Loire and Haut-Vienne.
Meanwhile firefighters are warning that the hot temperatures combined with the drought means that much of the south of France is a 'powder keg' with wildfire expected.
MAP Where in France are there water restrictions and what does it mean?
The heatwave hit southern France at the start of the week - with temperatures of 36C and 37C recorded in Nimes, Carcassonne and Montelimar, breaking seasonal records - and on Wednesday it is making its way north, bringing unusually high temperatures right across the country.
The official threshold for a heatwave - three or more days where the national thermal indicator exceeds 25.3C and there is a danger to the population of excess mortality - has been reached and local authorities across France are activating their heatwave plans.
Frédéric Nathan of Méteo France said the heatwave was "extremely early", but due to climate change France is likely to see more early, intense and long heatwaves in the years to come.
On Friday the mercury will continue to rise, with temperatures of 35C-40C expected across the whole of southern France.
Méteo France predicts that for the south "40C in the shade will certainly be reached, especially on Friday."
Temperatures will also rise in the north, with 32C-36C widely expected, and the heat is predicted to extend to Brittany, which frequently escapes heatwaves.
#Météo #Bretagne #Températures 🌡️📈🥵 Vague de chaleur : le mythe de l'exception bretonne brûle cette semaine !
Les températures s'annoncent exceptionnelles et un tel évènement ne s'est jamais produit en juin sur la région.
Détails ici : https://t.co/YybXTkl8w6 pic.twitter.com/V5Ml7B61Xu
— Météo Bretagne ☀️ (@MeteoBretagne) June 13, 2022
Temperatures are predicted to reach their peak on Saturday, especially in the north where Paris is forecast to reach 36C.
Through the heatwave night-time temperatures are expected to stay high, not falling below 20C in any part of the country.
Saturday is predicted to be the last day of the very high temperatures, with storms forecast to arrive on Saturday evening from the west, travelling eastwards across the country.
Once the storms are over, temperatures are expected to fall back to the usual seasonal averages of around 30C.
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As of Friday, June 17th, 37 départements in France are at red or orange alert level for the heatwave, with at least 18 million people impacted. This is the earliest heat wave ever recorded in France.
The Ministry of Education has also announced that primary and middle schools (collèges) in the 12 départements that are at the 'red' level will be able to stay home Friday, June 17th.
France's southwest regions are expected to exceed 40°C this Friday and the temperatures will continue to climb into Saturday, according to Météo-France. In Gironde, the département which contains Bordeaux and is on red alert, local authorities have banned "all public demonstrations outdoors or in non-air-conditioned premises" from Friday 2:00 pm due to high temperatures.
The red 'vigilance absolue' level is rarely declared for high temperatures, and is a warning that the heat can pose a serious risk to human health and life.
🔴 12 dpts en #vigilanceRouge
— VigiMétéoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) June 16, 2022
🔶 25 dpts en #vigilanceOrange
Restez informés sur https://t.co/rJ24zzDXpC pic.twitter.com/AUK0tXPzzY
The départements on red alert are; Tarn, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Tarn-et-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne, Landes, Gironde, Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres, Vienne and Vendée. The alert remains in place until 4pm on Friday.
People in those areas are advised to stay indoors, drink plenty of water and avoid taking exercise in the hottest part of the day. Businesses may also reschedule their day to ensure that workers are able to avoid the worst of the heat and schools may close.
Prime minister Elisabeth Borne tweeted warning people in France to "be careful - drink plenty of water, rest in the shade and take care of loved ones. In case of illness, contact the ambulance on 15."
Those on orange alert are; Aude, Ardèche, Ariège, Aveyron, Cantal, Cher, Creuse, Corrèze, Dordogne, Drôme, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Île-et-Vilaine, Loire-et-Cher, Loire-Atlantique, Lot, Maine-et-Loire, Mayenne, Morbihan, Puy-de-Drôme, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Sarthe, Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Loire and Haut-Vienne.
Meanwhile firefighters are warning that the hot temperatures combined with the drought means that much of the south of France is a 'powder keg' with wildfire expected.
MAP Where in France are there water restrictions and what does it mean?
The heatwave hit southern France at the start of the week - with temperatures of 36C and 37C recorded in Nimes, Carcassonne and Montelimar, breaking seasonal records - and on Wednesday it is making its way north, bringing unusually high temperatures right across the country.
The official threshold for a heatwave - three or more days where the national thermal indicator exceeds 25.3C and there is a danger to the population of excess mortality - has been reached and local authorities across France are activating their heatwave plans.
Frédéric Nathan of Méteo France said the heatwave was "extremely early", but due to climate change France is likely to see more early, intense and long heatwaves in the years to come.
On Friday the mercury will continue to rise, with temperatures of 35C-40C expected across the whole of southern France.
Méteo France predicts that for the south "40C in the shade will certainly be reached, especially on Friday."
Temperatures will also rise in the north, with 32C-36C widely expected, and the heat is predicted to extend to Brittany, which frequently escapes heatwaves.
#Météo #Bretagne #Températures 🌡️📈🥵 Vague de chaleur : le mythe de l'exception bretonne brûle cette semaine !
— Météo Bretagne ☀️ (@MeteoBretagne) June 13, 2022
Les températures s'annoncent exceptionnelles et un tel évènement ne s'est jamais produit en juin sur la région.
Détails ici : https://t.co/YybXTkl8w6 pic.twitter.com/V5Ml7B61Xu
Temperatures are predicted to reach their peak on Saturday, especially in the north where Paris is forecast to reach 36C.
Through the heatwave night-time temperatures are expected to stay high, not falling below 20C in any part of the country.
Saturday is predicted to be the last day of the very high temperatures, with storms forecast to arrive on Saturday evening from the west, travelling eastwards across the country.
Once the storms are over, temperatures are expected to fall back to the usual seasonal averages of around 30C.
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