Heatwave: Hottest day this Monday, 40 departments on orange alert

The weekend was hot in France and it's not over this Monday. This August 12th even marks the hottest day of the year so far.

The heat wave has intensified in France in recent days. On Sunday, the temperature exceeded 40 degrees, particularly in the Landes and Gironde. The heatwave reached its peak this Monday. The night was very hot and high temperatures were present from dawn.

No fewer than forty departments have been placed on orange alert by Météo-France on August 12: Vaucluse, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, Isère, Savoie, Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Haute-Savoie, Ain, Saône-et-Loire, Allier, Jura, Côte-d'Or, Doubs, Indre-et-Loire, Indre, Cher, Nièvre, Cote d'Or, Aube, Yonne, Seine-et-Marne, Loiret, Eure-et-Loir, Yvelines, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, Essonne, Marne, Val-d'Oise, Oise, Aisne,  Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud.

The 35 degrees will be exceeded in many departments. For example, it will be between 36 and 38 degrees in the Paris region but also in Upper Normandy, in Hauts-de-France, Paca, Centre and Burgundy. It will be a little less hot in Occitanie, in Poitou and the Loire Valley with between 30 and 35 degrees and even less near the Atlantic with between 25 and 30 degrees from Brittany to Aquitaine.

A drop on Tuesday and some thunderstorms

According to The Weather Channel, this Monday will be the hottest day of the year, so far, on a national scale. Météo-France specifies that this heatwave episode is "not exceptional" but "quite lasting". 

The "heatwave" toll-free number, which provides advice "to protect yourself and those around you" from extreme heat, has been active since Saturday, August 10, the Ministry of Health announced. Reachable on 08 00 06 66 66 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., the free telephone number “Canicule Info service” is in place until the end of the heatwave episode, the government press release detailed.

The heat will decrease from Tuesday by “the west” but will persist in the east. Some storms could also be observed in the northwest of the country from this Monday evening. Temperatures will continue to drop on Wednesday.