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David Saint-Sernin
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A cloudy sky and a breathable atmosphere before thunderstorms. Monday August 18, 2025, Toulouse saw its first day without heat wave Since August 8. “Since 6 am, this Monday, August 18, the Haute-Garonne has returned to green alert,” said the prefecture in the morning. An extreme event, already described as history, which saw the Haute-Garonne passing in orange alert from August 8 to 10, then from August 13 to 18, but above all to live two days in red vigilance From August 11 to 13. The heat wave behind us, here are five info on one of the most extreme episodes experienced in the pink city for 100 years.
#1 The second strongest heat wave since 1922
“A series of 10 consecutive days above 35 degrees (from 7 to 16). Only the heat wave of 2003 had been longer: 12 non-stop days, ”sums up on X the memory of the weather in Toulouse, the former forecastist at Météo France, Pascal Boureau.
The decor is planted. In recent days, the pink city has experienced one of the most extreme weather episodes of the last 100 years.
“This phenomenon is remarkable for its duration. This is the second time, after the 2003 heat wave, that it happens in the meteorological history of Toulouse. A story that started with the first surveys at the Toulouse-Francazal weather station in 1922, then from 1947 in Toulouse-Blagnac, ”recalls Pascal Boureau.
#2 Three days at more than 40 °: “Never seen in Toulouse-Francazal”
It has been unprecedented since 1922, the year of the first surveys in Toulouse-Francazal: the thermometer crossed the threshold of 40 ° three consecutive days on this France weather station. “He did the 41,8° the 11, 40,5° The 12 and 40,1° August 13, it is unheard of in Francazal, ”says Pascal Boureau. At the Toulouse-Blagnac station the 40 ° threshold was crossed twice: he did 41,5° The 11th and 40,5° August 12.
During the 2003 heat wave, at the same Blagnac station, the 40 ° bar had been crossed four times, but in twice.
#3 No absolute temperature record beaten in Toulouse
The temperature record was not beaten in Toulouse. With 41.8 ° recorded, the day of August 11, 2025 nevertheless climbs on the podium of the hottest days recorded since 1922.
The hottest days in the history of the pink city date from 2023. The absolute temperature record was broken on Wednesday August 23, with 42.4 ° C under shelter measured at the Toulouse-Blagnac station.
The second hottest day in history dates from August 24, 2023: we measured 42 ° C in Toulouse-Blagnac that day.
#4 A huge rain deficit
As in the heat wave of 2003, the heat wave for August 2025 was marked by a huge rain deficit.
“He made between 11 and 19 mm of rain according to the sectors, a cumulation which corresponds to the only storm recorded on Wednesday August 14”. In 2003, there had also been a single storm on the heat wave period, ”compares Pascal Boureau
#5 very hot evenings, but no longer bearable nights
“On this heat wave episode, the nights were more bearable than in 2003 when the thermometer was 24 to 25 °. This time, there were indeed tropical nightsbut with minimum temperatures between 21 and 23 °, ”notes Pascal Boureau.
If night temperatures have been able to decrease “thanks to a dry atmosphere”, “Toulouse recorded The hottest evenings For a large agglomeration in France, ”notes the former meteorologist.
“The sun setting itself later in Toulouse that in Nice or Montpellier, it was able to do Up to 32 ° in the evening, Between 11 p.m. and midnight, which is very rare on weather stations located on the outskirts. In the evening, Toulouse was the city where it was the hottest in France in front of cities like Nice or Lyon, ”notes Pascal Boureau.
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