Heatwave: 9 departments still on orange heatwave alert, here are the forecasts

Météo-France has lifted the orange heatwave alert for a large part of the country, but 9 departments in the south-east remain affected by high temperatures and the orange alert.

A heatwave has been affecting France since Sunday. While nearly half of the country was on alert in recent days, a return to almost normal has been announced since Friday, August 2, morning. Only 9 departments are kept on orange heatwave alert: Hérault, Gard, Bouches de Rhone, Vaucluse, Var, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes and the two departments of Corsica.

© Screenshot from Météo-France

In its Friday morning bulletin, Météo France announces that the following departments should come out of the orange heatwave alert this weekend:  

• Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Vaucluse Saturday at 6 a.m.;
•  Var, Gard, Hérault Saturday at 22h.

Then only Corsica and Bouches-du-Rhone will remain on orange heatwave alert this weekend.

The day was very hot yesterday, and the  "40°C were exceeded near the Mediterranean and in Corsica yesterday Thursday with notably 41.2°C at Les Arc in the Var" indicates Météo-France in its weather report for Friday morning. This Friday morning at 5am, temperatures were also very high in the south-east, and the weather agency recorded, for example, 27.1°C in Istres and 27.7°C in Aigues-Mortes.

For today, the mercury will rise again near the Mediterranean, including Corsica, with 35°C to 39°C locally. 35 degrees are expected in Montpellier, 34 degrees in Corsica and Gap, 33 degrees in Perpignan and 32 degrees in Montélimar. The rest of the country returns to seasonal temperatures, much more pleasant, between 21 and 27 degrees in the middle of the country. north of France.

While this heatwave is intense, it is short-lived, and no department has been placed on red alert. However, peaks will have reached 40°C this week, particularly in Gironde, in some of the departments of the Mediterranean basin or in Deux-Sèvres. On Monday, Météo France was able to record at the hottest time of the day: 40.9°C at Grospierres in Ardèche, 40.6°C at Moules-et-Baucels in Hérault, 39.6°C at Villaries in Haute-Garonne, 39.4°C at Brive in Corrèze, 38.9°C at Auch in Gers, 38.8°C at Bordeaux (Gironde) and 38.7°C at Orange in Vaucluse.