East half of France on heatwave alert with temperatures set to hit 40C
Ten departments have been put on the second-highest heatwave warning
Article published July 10, 2023
Heatwave warnings have been put in place for large parts of eastern France.
There are 22 departments on tier-two canicule (heatwave) warnings on Monday (July 10), as well as 10 facing orange warnings – the second highest level. The levels are green, yellow, orange and red.
Temperatures in the affected departments could reach 40C, with residents being warned to take precautions when outside and travelling on public transport.
Some departments – in the east of the country on the German border, are also facing storm warnings alongside those for high temperatures.
The current heatwave “is not exceptional for the season, but its persistence requires particular vigilance”, said France’s national forecaster Météo France on Monday (July 10).
South-east set for highest temperatures
Warnings over warm weather were already present on Sunday (July 9) in the east, with France tackling its first major mainland heatwave of the year.
Temperatures hit 37C in the south-east of the country on Sunday.
These are the departments that have the second-highest (orange) heatwave warnings on Monday:
- Ain
- Côte-d'Or
- Rhône
- Isère
- Loire
- Jura
- Saône-et-Loire
- Var
- Alpes-Maritimes
- Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Temperatures in these regions are expected to reach more than 35C today, and in some – particularly inland in the Var – could see 40C weather.
Other departments, particularly on the Mediterranean coastline, could see their warning level upgraded to orange as the day progresses.
You can keep up to date with the latest warnings on Météo France’s official website here.
Météo France recorded temperatures of between 23C and 25C in Lyon (Rhône) and Nice (Alpes-Maritimes) this morning at 05:00 – with temperatures of 26C in Narbonne and Perpignan at the same time.
Elsewhere, temperatures in Paris (not currently facing any heatwave warning) could reach 32C this afternoon.
Read more: How to keep your house cool in the high heat of the French summer
No let up from heat
Tuesday (July 11) is expected to see similar temperature levels in the affected regions, although more parts of the country will face hotter weather overall.
Departments in the Grand-Est region, specifically around Alsace, could see highs of 38C tomorrow, and in the south around Toulouse temperatures could reach 35C.
Currently, nine departments are facing orange warnings for Tuesday (July 11), while 26 face yellow alerts.
Expected temperatures in the south-east for the week are expected to hover around 30C, although could be higher if the heatwave persists.
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