The heatwave episode continues on Tuesday over a large part of France with 49 departments placed by Météo-France in orange vigilance and four in red vigilance. “A lasting and intense heat wave for the period has settled over the country”, announces the forecaster. “In the Rhône Valley as well as in the east of the Massif Central, the heat continues to intensify”, underlines the public establishment, noting the “exceptional nature” of the phenomenon in this area “due to its intensity and its duration “.
Heatwave red vigilance is triggered in the Ardèche, Drôme, Haute-Loire and Rhône (69) on Tuesday from 3 p.m. Orange vigilance will be extended to Deux-Sèvres, Vendée and Vienne, i.e. still nearly fifty departments in heat wave orange vigilance in total.
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“The minimums often do not drop below 20-22°C, or even 23-25°C locally, especially in urban areas. The maximum range between 36 and 39 ° C in general, “says Météo-France. “It is still on the Drôme and the Ardèche that the most severe temperature levels are expected with frequently more than 40-42 ° C for the maximum”, warns Météo-France again.
The heat wave peak is expected Tuesday and Wednesday in the center-east of the country, and Wednesday and Thursday in the Southwest. Shortly before 11 a.m., it was already 31 ° C in Pierrelatte (Drôme), in the Rhône valley, one of the main sectors affected by the red level.
At 5 a.m., “we were up to 29°C in Nice and Hyères” and 23°C in Lyon, where the night was stifling, notes Météo-France, according to which “certain absolute records are still likely to be broken, especially towards the Rhone Valley and the Toulouse South”.
Already on Monday, “temperatures rose to 41°C in Carcassonne, 40°C in Valence” or 38°C in Lyon. Everywhere the authorities are multiplying the instructions, several ministers have been mobilized to crisscross the country and recall the preventive measures, such as Aurélien Rousseau (Health), traveling to the Valence hospital on Tuesday.
Faced with the heat wave which is crushing two-thirds of the country – only the northern third being classified as green – the inhabitants are trying to adapt, with measures in favor of the most vulnerable. The Red Cross opened Tuesday morning in a gymnasium in the center of Lyon a “refreshed site” for the homeless, “the hot weather representing as many risks as the cold weather”, told AFP Raimon Schmidt, a head of the Red Cross in Lyon. The pace of marauding has doubled since Lyon went into orange vigilance since mid-August and the teams hope to set up rounds in the afternoon, during the hottest hours, according to the same source.
In Haute-Loire, in the emergency room of Puy-en-Velay, vigilance is also required. “We are not too affected at the moment in terms of emergency calls or admissions, but there may be a lag of 24 or 48 hours,” said Stéphane Monteil, part of this service. Same story at Montélimar hospital.
Afternoon temperatures will often peak between 33 and 38°C. But we will wait until 38 to 40 ° C in part of Occitania, and from Rhône-Alpes to Provence and Var. The heat will be particularly intense around the Rhone Valley where the maximum will quite often reach 40 to 42°C.
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In the Hautes-Alpes, a fire which broke out on Sunday evening in Chanousse was still not fixed on Monday afternoon and had totally or partially destroyed more than a hundred hectares, according to the prefecture. The risk of fire starting is exacerbated by extreme temperatures.
The very high temperatures will continue until the middle of the week with 39 to 42 ° C expected Wednesday and Thursday, in the south-west and the Rhône valley, before a drop in temperatures which will begin gently on Friday, according to Météo -France.
On the other hand, from Brittany to the northern borders as well as on the Atlantic coast, despite a slight increase, the heat will remain bearable. On the relief of the Pyrenees, the Southern Alps and the Massif Central, cumulus clouds will develop in the afternoon, and will lead to a few showers, even thunderstorms on the east of the Pyrenees chain.
