France suffers from heatwave: temperature records set in over 20 cities
Kyiv • UNN
A number of French cities, including Bordeaux and Angoulême, have broken absolute temperature records, reaching 43.1°C. Temperatures are expected to rise further to 40°C in many regions.
Today, a number of southern French cities, including Bordeaux, Bergerac, and Angoulême, broke absolute temperature records. In some places, the thermometer reached 43.1°C. This is only the beginning of a large-scale heatwave; temperatures on Tuesday, August 12, will reach +40°C in many regions, writes UNN with reference to LeParisien.
Details
On Monday, August 11, several cities in France recorded unprecedentedly high temperatures. In Bordeaux, the capital of the Gironde department, Météo-France recorded a record 41.6°C, surpassing the previous maximum of 41.2°C set in July 2019. In Bergerac (Dordogne department) and Angoulême (Charente), the temperature reached 42.1°C, and in Captieux (Gironde) – a record 43.1°C. In Saint-Émilion (Gironde) and Saint-Girons (Ariège), maximum temperature records were also broken, recorded at 41.5°C and 39.8°C respectively.
Addition
In total, on this day, as the publication notes, about twenty absolute heat records were set in France, indicating the exceptional intensity of this heatwave.
For Tuesday, 16 departments of the country are in a "red alert state" due to extremely high temperatures, and a significant part of France is in the orange risk zone. The heat is expected to cover three-quarters of the country's territory in the near future, with temperatures on Tuesday reaching 36 to 38°C in the Île-de-France, Grand Est, and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté regions.
The hottest areas will be in the Rhône Valley and central-eastern France, particularly around Lyon, where the thermometer will rise to 40°C or even higher. In the southwest of the country, it will remain hot, with the possibility of new temperature records.
This heatwave is already considered one of the most intense in recent decades and poses risks to public health and the environment. Authorities urge citizens to follow recommendations for protection against overheating.