Red alert for heatwave in France lifted on Wednesday morning across nine of the 14 affected departments
Heatwave Grips France: 12 Departments on Red Alert
A severe heatwave is sweeping across France, breaking historical temperature records in several regions. Bordeaux, Bergerac, Saint-Émilion, and Angoulême recorded highs of 41.6°C, 42.1°C, 41.5°C, and 42.1°C respectively.
The French government has taken precautions, with hospitals prepared to respond to the potential health impact of the heatwave. The current heatwave is exceptional even for August, with temperatures rising slightly in the northeast and easing slightly in the south.
Four departments in the southeastern center - Ardèche, Drôme, Isère, and Rhône - will switch to red alert by noon today. Sixteen departments, including these four, are currently in red alert, with the southwest already under alert, covering Gironde, Landes, Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne, Gers, Lot, Tarn-et-Garonne, Haute-Garonne, Tarn, and Aude. Sixty-four departments remain in orange.
On Tuesday, very high temperatures are expected in the region, with 40°C possible on the Aquitaine coast in some places. Peaks of 40°C are also expected in Burgundy.
The departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime, which were previously under red alert, have now been downgraded to orange. However, Aude will remain on red alert. These southern departments are expected to return to orange at 6 am tomorrow, except for Aude.
The heatwave is still tightening its grip on French territory, and preventive measures are being implemented due to the heatwave in the four departments switching to red alert by noon. The fire and heatwave activity is centered primarily around Charente and Aude, while urban centers such as Toulouse, Montpellier, Nîmes, and Perpignan are highlighted as sensitive heat islands.
The exact four departments switching to red alert at midday are not explicitly named, but the counties most frequently mentioned as under red alert around that time are within Charente, Aude, Haute-Garonne, and possibly Hérault or Gard. The red alert signifies France’s highest heat warning for extreme, prolonged heat with health and disruption risks.
The public is advised to take real precautions to avoid heatstroke or fainting. Anyone, even young and healthy, can be affected. The live coverage of the heatwave situation is available for follow-up.
[1] Meteo-France: [Link to Source] [2] Le Monde: [Link to Source] [3] France Info: [Link to Source]
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