Thirteen departments in France, primarily in the south-west, are to be put on orange alert for a heatwave from Sunday midday by Météo-France. A further 22 southern departments are to be put on yellow alert due to the first heatwave of 2024.
The rain that accompanied the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics will promptly give way to intense heat across France. According to Météo-France in a press briefing on Saturday, the heatwave, which started in Spain, is forecasted to extend to the Île-de-France region over the following week.
High temperatures are expected from midday Sunday across Haute-Corse, Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Corrèze, Dordogne, Gers, Gironde, Haute-Garonne, Landes, Lot, Lot-et-Garonne, Tarn and Tarn-et-Garonne. These areas will be on orange alert for the heatwave. Additional departments may also move to orange alert.
Maximum temperatures ranging from 34 to 36°C, locally reaching 37-38°C, are expected in the South West on Sunday. In Corsica and the Mediterranean Midi, temperatures will reach 38°C.
On Monday, temperatures could reach 40°C. This will be the 48th heatwave since the post-war period. “Heatwaves are a manifestation of our changing climate, they are becoming increasingly intense, frequent, early and long,” noted Matthieu Sorel, climatologist, speaking on Météo-France.
Before 1989, France experienced an average of one heatwave every five years. Since 2000, they occur yearly with this trend set to double in 30 years.
