It is tropically warm here, but our southern neighbors go the extra mile. The mercury there locally reaches 40 degrees. Code red has been declared in no fewer than 35 departments, which is a record. Nahel Belgherze, an expert in extreme weather, calls it “a historic heat wave”. “France could see its hottest day on record in the coming days,” he reports.
Journalist at HLN
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According to Belgherze, it is not the temperature itself that is so special, but that it is so warm over such a large area in France. “The sheer size of the French territory where temperatures can exceed 40°C is simply astonishing,” he says.
“France could record its hottest day ever in the coming days,” the weather expert adds, “exceeding the 30°C limit nationally for the first time in history.”
Record
According to Météo-France, code red for the heat is in force in 35 departments from today. That is an unprecedented number. The previous record dates from July 24 and 25, 2019, when the warning applied in 20 departments. This time, code red affects 26 million people.
In the event of a code red, measures against the heat apply. For example, crisis centers must be set up and meetings can be cancelled. Today the traditional music festival Fête de la Musique is being held everywhere in France and has already been canceled in Poitiers and Brive-la-Gaillarde (Corrèze).
Alcohol prohibited
Noteworthy: in the departments where code red applies, it is prohibited to drink alcohol in public areas, such as at festivals. This is because the risk of dehydration with alcohol is higher than with soft drinks.
Code orange is in force in 45 other departments today. Yesterday, code orange still applied in 60 departments.
“The very high temperatures will continue for a longer period throughout the country and on Sunday temperatures in the departments with a red alert will be exceptionally high both during the day and at night,” the meteorological institute said.
Today, the mercury could rise to 38 to 41 °C, according to Météo-France. That hot weather will continue next week. Locally it may even become slightly warmer. Monday may even be the hottest day ever measured in France, with temperatures reaching 37 to 42 °C.
No change
No change is expected in the following days, at least until Thursday, with extremely high maximum and minimum temperatures. A decline could start from Friday, but this has yet to be confirmed.
Heavy thunderstorms are also possible in large parts of central and northern France during this period.
A total of 845 schools and colleges will remain closed tomorrow due to the heat wave, while 1,800 other institutions will “adjust their schedules”. According to Education Minister Edouard Geffray, students will be able to go home in the early afternoon. The 845 schools and colleges (out of a total of 60,000) “will not receive students or provide minimal care” and “especially in the departments with code red”, he said on channel ‘France 3’.
Train
The CEO of the French railway company SNCF, Jean Castex, is now asking the most “vulnerable” travelers to avoid the train during the heat wave. “We advise them to postpone their trip, or at least to avoid the train during the heat wave, because that is also a way to protect them preventively.”
