Heatwave in France: Red alerts and record temperatures? Departments on alert and forecasts

If Tuesday is the hottest day of the heatwave, it is because the maximum temperatures between 38 and 41°C extend over a larger part of the territory: over an entire southern line of the country, over a large southwest quarter including Occitanie, Nouvelle Aquitaine and part of Auvergne, and going up towards the Paris basin via the Centre-Val de Loire.

Temperatures of up to 27°C are expected in the early morning or early morning in some cities. The Weather Channel reports temperatures of 22°C in Lille and Bordeaux, 23°C in Lyon, 25°C in Perpignan, 26°C in Paris, and up to 27°C in Nice. With sunshine throughout France from the morning, despite some low clouds in regions near the Atlantic, the atmosphere will quickly warm up, and "the temperature will reach 30°C by late morning in many cities."

"This Tuesday will be the hottest day of this heatwave," warns Météo France in its bulletin, announcing "temperatures between 36°C and 39°C in the orange departments, with some peaks of 40°C-41°C, particularly in the departments on red alert, as well as near the Mediterranean." La Chaîne Météo estimates that peaks of 40°C will be "generalized across a large southern half," but also "as far as the Centre-Val de Loire and part of the Massif Central."

Faced with the heatwave, many schools decided to close their doors this Tuesday, July 1st. According to the Ministry of Education, nearly 1,350 public schools will be "totally or partially" closed, almost twice as many as the day before, according to a latest report communicated to AFP. Schools are authorized to close, in particular due to the active red alert in several departments. Some teachers also plan to exercise their right of withdrawal.

Ninety-one departments are still on heatwave alert this Tuesday, July 1st: 68 are on orange alert, but it is towards the 16 departments on red alert that attention is turning. These 16 departments are: Aube, Cher, Indre, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher, Loiret, Vienne, Yonne and the eight Ile-de-France territories of Paris, Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines, Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val de Marne and Val d'Oise.

Seven other departments are on yellow alert: Hautes-Alpes, Corse-du-Sud, Eure, Morbihan, Orne, Pas-de-Calais, and Somme. Finally, five departments located on the English Channel coast are the only ones to escape the heatwave alert, even though temperatures there can reach 30°C.

Tonight is going to be very hot, and it's going to be difficult to cool down. It's 28°C in Paris, Nice, Marseille, Montpellier, and Perpignan. The rest of France is also experiencing a tropical night, with temperatures rarely dropping below 20°C.

Visitors to the Eiffel Tower will no longer be able to climb to the top floor from tomorrow until Wednesday, July 2, "due to the heatwave and to ensure everyone's comfort and safety."

Ten departments recorded temperatures above or equal to 40°C today: Drôme, Aude, Vaucluse, Ardèche, Charente, Isère, Pyrénées-Orientales, Landes, Hérault and Gard.

Temperatures exceeded 35°C across the country. Only the Nord and Pas-de-Calais regions did not record higher temperatures.

When it's hot, we recommend staying hydrated. But sometimes your bottle or water bottle is empty, and you don't want to buy a new one. What should you do? Although many people think so, restaurants and bars aren't required to offer water to everyone who asks. They are there for their customers, but if you don't drink, you may be refused a glass of water.

They're even allowed to set a price for a glass of water if it's clearly displayed. This kind of practice is rare, however. Many restaurateurs are even willing to offer you a glass of water if you ask without disturbing their work.

During this heatwave, we're not feeling very hungry, but we need to maintain a balanced diet. No food should be avoided, although reducing salt intake is recommended to limit water retention. Foods high in salt, such as cold cuts, should therefore be avoided. You can focus on foods rich in water, such as cucumber, watermelon, tomatoes, melon, or leeks, which are rich in trace elements. Remember to eat a varied diet, with fiber, but also carbohydrates and protein. Hydration is also very important and should not be neglected. Avoid sugary drinks such as soda, syrups, or alcohol.

The Ministry of National Education plans to close nearly 1,350 schools tomorrow due to the high temperatures.

If you're hot at home, people living on the streets are even hotter. If you want to help them, you can give them water, either bottled or filled, which will keep the water cool. Anything that will protect them from the sun, such as an umbrella, cap, or hat, can also be donated. You can also contact organizations that conduct outreach and distribute essentials to people living on the streets. During this period of intense heat, they are looking for suitable clothing, meaning it provides coverage but is lightweight. Lighter shoes are also in demand.

Paris intends to test a "hot weather plan" for the homeless. This plan includes increasing the number of outreach campaigns by nonprofit organizations, distributing water bottles and heat-resistant clothing, and opening parks at night.

Yannick Neuder explained to the press during a visit to a Parisian nursing home that the health of our elderly is "everyone's business." "The heatwave is everyone's business," he insisted. It is important to take care of the most vulnerable around you, remind your elders to stay hydrated, and ensure that their homes remain cool (closing shutters and curtains during the day, fans, etc.).

After a scorching day, thunderstorms broke out in the Alps. Hail and heavy rain are falling in Vaucluse, reports Météo Express.

Matthieu Sorel, a climatologist at Météo France, announced that the night from Sunday to Monday was the hottest ever recorded in France in June. "The national nighttime temperature indicator reached 20.2 degrees, surpassing the value of 20.1 degrees on June 27, 2019."

But Monday also broke records, reaching an average temperature of 28°C across the country, higher than the 27.9°C recorded on June 27, 2019.

It was very hot throughout France, but the hottest was in the Drôme region. 41.9°C was recorded locally in Visobres.

The Paris Police Prefecture has implemented traffic restriction measures in the Île-de-France region due to the pollution spike associated with the high temperatures. "Only vehicles with a Crit'Air sticker of classes 0, 1, and 2 will be allowed to circulate," with the exception of priority and public interest vehicles.

The speed limit is also reduced, with a maximum of 110 km/h on roads normally limited to 130 km/h, 90 km/h on roads normally limited to 110 km/h, 70 km/h for roads normally limited to 90 km/h.

It's certainly very unpleasant to live in such heat, but the worst could be yet to come. Indeed, we know that very high temperatures are only temporary and will quickly drop again after the summer, but that doesn't mean there are no consequences. Indeed, materials can be impacted by this heat, which can cause cracks in houses and dry out the soil. Very dry soils become fragile, which can damage buildings. There is also the risk of creating soil impermeability, which promotes flooding at the end of summer.

Tomorrow could be one of the hottest days ever recorded in France. Heat records will certainly be broken, but how can you avoid danger when working outdoors? For example, someone working on a roof in direct sunlight can be exposed to temperatures of up to 50°C or even 60°C. Starting tomorrow, new rules will be in place, requiring workers to be provided with 3 liters of water per day, allowing for shift work, and increasing the number of breaks.

According to La Chaîne Météo, June temperature records were broken today. In Chambéry and Aix-les-Bains, the temperature reached 36.8°C (previous record at 36.7°C), in Annecy, it reached 36.1°C (previous record at 35.4°C), and in Dinard, it reached 36°C (previous record at 35.5°C).

The first signs of a cooler temperature will arrive from the northwest on Wednesday. A more notable drop will be observed on Thursday, with drops in the north of between 5 and 10 degrees. In the south, the heat will ease more towards the end of the week.

The Paris region is under red heatwave alert for Tuesday. Temperatures could reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) with a perceived temperature of 44 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). This alert level has not been reached in the Île-de-France region since August 2020. "The heatwave peak in the Paris Basin will be very severe on Tuesday and the night of Tuesday to Wednesday," announced Météo France. There are 1,400 cool spots in the capital, as well as 140 parks and green spaces open all day.