The projections reflect that almost all of the national territory will deal with more than 35 degrees, with up to 36 degrees expected in this capital and a worst case scenario projected for the regions of Occitanie, Neuquéten and Pays de la Loire.
The upper ring in place since the beginning of the week has forced the Météo France agency to set up a red watch, the largest in the country, starting at 2:00 pm local time on Friday in 12 provinces located on the Atlantic side.
Charente, Charente-Maritime, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Gironde, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Deux-Sèvres, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne, Vendée and Vienne are the territories to be monitored red o they will turn orange.
Only eastern France seems less threatened by the heat wave, which in recent days has launched measures to protect the most vulnerable and calls for staying hydrated and in cool places, avoiding vigorous physical exercise and caring for the elderly and the chronically ill.
According to the forecast, cities such as Toulouse, Montpellier, Bordeaux and Nantes, among others, will cope with 40 degrees Celsius, and more.
France’s heatwave red alert has only been applied four times since the current monitoring system, set up after the 2003 tragedy, when a heat wave left at least 15,000 people dead, was activated.
Speaking about the high temperatures and expected highs for today and tomorrow, Purdue emergency specialist Corinne Junette stressed the importance of keeping in mind that drought can be deadly.
He told Franceinfo that not only is there a risk for vulnerable people, but people who are in good health should also take action.
rgh / wmr
“Award-winning alcohol trailblazer. Hipster-friendly internetaholic. Twitter ninja. Infuriatingly humble beer lover. Pop culture nerd.”