The scorching episode which began this Friday August 18 is already shaping up to be “the hottest of summer 2023”, notes Météo-France. The heat wave is gradually spreading to other regions of France, with peak intensity expected early next week.
France is thus preparing for a heat stroke of exceptional intensity for the end of summer. While 28 departments were targeted by orange vigilance, 49 are now the subject of surveillance for the day of Sunday, August 20, according to the latest report from the meteorological institute.
?? 49 departments in Orange and Andorra pic.twitter.com/NK6p3cfrCy
These 49 departments placed in orange vigilance, to which is added Andorra, form a vast diagonal going from Gers to Haut-Rhin and extending to Savoies. The Rhône Valley has already been subjected to strong heat for several days. In the former capital of Dauphiné, it was already 37°C on Friday.
“This weekend, the heat is increasing, especially in the southern half of the country. They promise to be long-lasting and intense,” warned Météo-France. Temperatures will rise from 35°C to 38°C, or even 39°C in the South for the day on Sunday.
???? Strong
The peak is expected “between Monday and Wednesday” before a possible drop in temperatures on Thursday which remains to be confirmed. On Monday, “we will be close to 35 degrees towards Chamonix […]. Which means that it could thaw up to the summit of Mont Blanc, ”notes to Agence France-Presse (AFP) Gabriel Chantrel, forecaster at the Météo-France center in Bron near Lyon. This episode “looks like the hottest of the summer of 2023” but also “as one of the latest with such a level of intensity”, specifies the institute.
