The current heat wave, exceptional even for a month of August, tightens its noose Tuesday, August 12: after the Southwest and its record temperatures, four departments of the center-east in their turn red vigilance, pushing the authorities to multiply preventive measures.
>> The heat wave extends to France on Saturday August 9
>> The heat wave is spread over almost all the southern half of France
>> Heat “of an exceptional level” expected in the southwest
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| Women with an umbrella and a fan walk near the banks of the Garonne in Toulouse on August 11. |
| Photo : AFP/VNA/CVN |
In the Rhône, the prefect decided to suspend the external sites of mid-day until 10:00 p.m. and to prohibit any public event outside or in non-air-conditioned establishments until the beginning of the evening.
The department enters at noon in red vigilance, just like Isère, Drôme and Ardèche. The twelve departments of the Southwest, already on maximum alert on August 11, remain it with the exception of the Charente and the Charente-Maritime which return to orange at 6:00 am thanks to ocean winds.
In total, at midday, the three-quarters of the country will at least be on orange alert. Only a small north-west quarter (17 departments), including Brittany and the Littoral from the English Channel to Pas-de-Calais, must escape the overwhelming tuffeur.
On August 11, several meteorological stations in the southwest recorded absolute temperature records: in Bordeaux (41.6 ° C), Bergerac (42.1 ° C), Saint-Emilion (41.5 ° C) or Angoulême (42.1 ° C), the thermometer rose to new levels. They will remain very high on August 12 in the region, “40 ° C which can even reach the Aquitaine coast in places”indicates Météo France.
The hot weather will win the north and east in the day: 36 ° C at 38 ° C are expected from Val-de-Loire to Ile-de-France and Grand-Est, and 40 to 41 ° C in the Rhône valley to Lyonnais, well above seasonal averages, according to weather services.
In Ardèche, temperatures could rise to 42 ° C locally, according to the prefecture, which stresses that “The strong heat also concerns mountain areas, with 30 to 35 ° C at 1,000-1.200 meters above sea level “.
On August 13, the Red Heatwave Vigilance will still be in force in the 14 departments concerned, announced Météo-France in its bulletin published at 06:00, which also maintains orange vigilance the 64 departments from this alert level.
“Temperatures mark the step in the south a little, while they are slightly rising in the northeast: peaks at 40 ° C are planned in Burgundy. Still around 35/36 ° C in Paris”, added the forecasting institute.
In addition, punctually strong thunderstorms are expected from the southwest, going up north as well as in the Southeast, he plans.
Park open all night
While the episode should continue for several days, the state has anticipated its sanitary impact, with hospitals ready to respond to the situation, assured the Minister of Health on August 11, Catherine Vautrin.
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| Discomfort felt because of heat and humidity. |
| Photo: AFP/VNA/CVN |
The prefectures have also reiterated their advice to the population: “At these temperature levels, anyone, even young and healthy, can undergo a heat stroke or discomfort if they do not take real precautions”, have thus warned the state services in the Drôme, where temperatures must exceed 40 ° C during the day and 22 ° C per night of August 12 and 13.
Municipalities unroll their heat wave plan. In Lyon, two large parks, head of gold and Gerland, see their opening hours lying down until late in the evening, and a third will even remain open all night to offer a place of freshness. Two museums – air conditioned – will open their doors for free.
In Bordeaux, the town hall opened a home center in the homeless. “Power, without pressure, rest in a cool place is a happiness“, Confided there on August 11 William, a thirty -something on the street for months.
The heat peak contributes to the deterioration of air quality. The departments of Var, Bouches-du-Rhône and Vaucluse in particular are on level 2 alert for ozone pollution. It also increases the risk of forest fires. The giant fire occurred on August 13 in the Corbières massif, “mastered“Since August 10, remains under surveillance.
France has undergone its 51 since Friday Fridaye Heat wave since 1947 and its second in the summer of 2025. According to Météo France, it should last “At least until August 15 weekend “ and could even “No doubt” extend until August 19 or 20, which means that “The overall episode could last 12 to 14 days”.
That of the beginning of the summer had lasted 16 days, ranking among the three longer waves of heat in the country.
France is not the only country concerned by intense heat. From the Iberian Peninsula to the Balkan countries, including Italy, temperatures are climbing.
AFP/VNA/CVN
