Severe heatwave: weather outlook for weekend August 9 - August 11

High temperatures across the south of France mean severe heatwave warnings are now in place in six departments. 

It comes as a spike in temperatures hits the south this weekend, and overnight temperatures remain high. 

Read more: Heatwave forecast for France this weekend: how hot and for how long?

Friday August 9

As of 09:00 on Friday Aude, Hérault, Vaucluse, Bouches-du-Rhône and Gard have joined the Pyrénées-Orientales (already facing a severe warning) on heightened tier-three orange warning for canicule (heatwave). 

Overnight temperatures in the departments seeing heightened warnings are currently around 25C, with daytime highs of up to 38C. 

Other departments in the south-east, which have been on a lower-tier heatwave warning already for the whole of this week, have seen these warnings remain in place.

Saturday August 10

These warnings are set to continue into Saturday (August 10), where they will last the entire day. 

A number of other departments in the Rhône valley and Alps will face lower level tier-two heatwave alerts. 

Despite the hottest temperatures of the weekend being forecast on Saturday in the south-west – 40C, potentially higher – no departments in this area are currently facing warnings of any kind. 

This is because nighttime temperatures in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region are set to be below 20C, allowing people and homes to cool down overnight, avoiding canicule warnings being raised (these warnings are based on both day and nighttime temperatures). 

The relatively short nature of the temperature spike in the south-west – within two to three days, temperatures will return to August averages – means a vague de chaleur warning is also unlikely. 

Read more: What are the different heatwave warnings in France?

Sunday August 11 

The heatwave will continue into Sunday, with temperatures in the south remaining essentially the same as at the beginning of the weekend, and rising in the north. 

Temperatures are set to reach 40C for the second consecutive day in the south-west.

In Paris, where the Olympics closing ceremony will take place, daytime temperatures may reach 34C, and it will be 30C or higher almost everywhere except parts of the Normandy and Brittany coastlines.

State forecaster Météo France may still raise warnings if they believe temperatures in the region become too extreme.

It announces warnings up to 48 hours in advance but updates these twice a day (at 10:00 and 16:00, sometimes more often during periods of extreme weather).

You can keep up to date with the official warnings from Météo France via its official website. 

When official heatwave warnings are raised, local departments may choose to bring in certain temporary rules to help the populace cool down, such as making public swimming pools free. 

Departments can also enact anti-heatwave plans, which include checking in on vulnerable people and providing increased assistance to Ehpads (elderly care homes).