Update July 29 16:00: The Creuse and Pyrénées-Atlantiques departments saw heatwave warnings rise to a tier-three orange level in the Météo France afternoon bulletin.
The Indre, Nièvre, Saône-et-Loire and Jura departments will see warnings rise on Tuesday (July 30), bringing the total number of departments on heightened alert then to 45.
Fourty-one departments in the south and centre of France have been placed on a tier-three orange alert for canicule (heatwave) by France’s state forecaster Météo France.
The warnings range from departments as far north as the Cher and Indre-et-Loire, to the south-east in the Alpes-Maritimes.
These alerts – the second-highest possible for a heatwave – are currently set to remain on Tuesday (July 30) in the same departments.
From Wednesday (July 31), a bout of Saharan sand will also cover France, particularly on the west coast and in central departments.
The heatwave is described by the forecaster as “relatively short but particularly intense”.
Temperatures are set to be between 35C to 38C in most of the affected areas and to reach 40C in some parts of the south-west and Mediterranean. Temperatures given are for the shade - and will obviously be higher in direct sun.
Today (July 29) is set to be the hottest day of the heatwave overall, with more areas facing higher temperatures.
Temperatures will remain at similar levels for the next few days.
Ad
Click on the photos below to see temperatures in your area on Monday and Tuesday (July 30).
VisActu / The Connexion
VisActu / The Connexion
Canicule warnings signify that overnight temperatures will be high in the affected areas, with people and buildings unable to sufficiently cool down.
In some areas of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions, temperatures will remain at 30C at midnight this week.
Heatwave warnings in France are based on official criteria relating to both daytime and overnight temperatures.
For a heatwave warning to be raised, temperatures must reach a certain level for a certain number of days, and these limits are different for each department in the country, based on their geographical locations and general temperatures.
A free 'heatwave information service' telephone number will be open again from Monday afternoon. You can call 0 800 06 66 66 between 09:00 and 19:00 for advice on how to protect yourself during the heatwave, and how to stay cool during a hot spell.
Météo France only gives official warnings for the next 48 hours, however its Monday morning bulletin said the extreme high temperatures were expected to last until Thursday (August 1).
The heat will spread northwards throughout the week with Météo France saying it “could not rule out other departments bordering those currently on orange alert” from being added to the list.
Any new warnings raised will be done so on Tuesday morning, depending on weather conditions overnight.
You can keep up to date with all the warnings at the official Météo Francewebsite.
