Campsite tourists overwhelmed and struggling to breathe amidst summer's intense heatwave
Heatwave Forces Adaptations at French Campsites
As southern France bakes under a relentless heatwave, vacationers at campsites along the Atlantic coast are feeling the effects. The town of Lacanau (Gironde) reached 37 degrees on Sunday, August 9th, and vacationers from Saint-Étienne (Loire) are no exception.
Two friends, vacationing at a campsite near Montpellier (Hérault), have found an indispensable companion in a small fan that sprays and blows air. Caroline Thiex, a vacationer, shares that they have bought this fan to combat the intense heat.
Shady spots are in high demand due to the heat, and vacationers are taking advantage of them whenever they can. Some tourists have even been waking up early to enjoy the pool as soon as it opens, out of the sun.
The campsite has adapted to the heat to ensure vacationers don't suffer too much. The restaurant terrace is now cooled by misting systems, and the inflatable games will close later than usual due to the heat. The pool at the campsite will close an hour and a half later than usual as well.
Joséphine Van Respaille, the campsite's assistant director, has set up a large fan near the bar to provide some relief from the heat. The mother of a family is looking forward to enjoying the facilities until late in the evening.
However, the heatwave has brought challenges for some. A mother with an 11-month-old baby finds the coming days challenging due to the heat. She finds it difficult to get her baby to nap during the day due to the heat.
The later closing time for the pool and inflatable games is a relief for the mother, as it gives her more time to keep her baby cool and comfortable.
The heatwave has also led to closures of popular swimming spots near campsites due to cyanobacteria proliferation, leading to deserted beaches and a decrease in usual outdoor leisure activity attendance.
Moreover, campsites in wildfire-prone areas faced evacuation orders and increased firefighting efforts due to the heightened risk posed by the heatwave and drought conditions. Authorities were closely monitoring and responding to these emergencies.
Starting from Monday, August 11th, 11 other departments, including Gironde, will be under a red heatwave alert. Vacationers are advised to take precautions and stay hydrated during the heatwave.
French vacationers are turning to environmental science, specifically climate-change studies, to understand the impact of extreme weather events like heatwaves on their campsites. A new trend has emerged where visitors are incorporating lessons from their environmental-science courses into their camping routines, such as seeking shady spots, waking up early to use the pool before the day heats up, and purchasing fans to combat the intense heat. Furthermore, the knowledge gained from these studies is proving invaluable in adapting to the new weather patterns, as demonstrated by the campsite's efforts to extend pool hours and install misting systems.
