A spell of below-average cold has led the French weather service to place many departments on alert on January 12 and 13, with homeless people and the elderly particularly vulnerable.
Eight departments have been placed on alert on Sunday (January 12), and 23 on Monday (January 13) due to the cold.
Temperatures are set to drop as low as -7C in Aurillac (Cantal) and Bourg-Saint-Maurice (Savoie) on Sunday night.
However, the temperatures could feel much colder - as low as -14C in Cantal in particular.
“Extreme cold, like heatwaves, is a danger to everyone,” says Météo France.
“It leads to increased health risks for all frail people (the elderly, infants, convalescents) or those suffering from respiratory or cardiac diseases".
“The cold presents particular danger for precarious, homeless or isolated populations, and those vulnerable due to their living or working conditions.”
As a result, several regions have implemented their plan grand froid, including the Hauts-de-France where 500 additional places have been made available to homeless people.
Météo France
In addition to the departments on alert due to the “extreme cold”, five other departments in north-eastern France are on alert due to icy road conditions on Sunday.
The risk of avalanches is also “high” in the Alps and Pyrenees following the snowfall of the past few days, with nine departments on alert on Sunday and nine on Monday.
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The cold snap is forecast to last until Wednesday (January 15).
In case of a cold snap, regional authorities can activate their ‘plan grand froid’ when Météo France raises an alert.
These alerts, as with other weather alerts, follow a green (no alert), yellow, orange, and red (highest) alert level, depending on the severity of the situation.
At present, the alert level is ‘yellow’.
The plan grand froid can include measures (determined by the regional authority) such as:
Allowing local authorities to temporarily open additional accommodation places for homeless people, including non-residential sites such as gymnasiums, schools and community halls
A local census of isolated people living on their own
Adapted hospital wards and beds for vulnerable people
More outreach work to vulnerable people
Extra efforts to limit the development of epidemics of illnesses such as flu syndromes and bronchiolitis
More awareness raising and work to prevent the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning
The plan also provides for more communication and regular updates on the help available and recommended precautionary measures, especially in case of a health alert (for example, on the Santé publique France website and via radio and TV advertisements).
