Heat records broken everywhere in France, a hot night expected

Published on: 07/18/2022 – 19:46 Temperature records fell on Monday in France with more than 39°C in Brest and more than 42°C in Biscarrosse. The culmination of this new heatwave episode is expected overnight from Monday to Tuesday. 39°C in Brest, 42°C in Nantes, 42°C in Biscarrosse… France is suffocating under the effect of the heat wave and the fires. This is the 45th heat wave recorded in France since 1947 and it particularly affects the western facade of Landes and Gers up to Finistère. At least a dozen local heat records were broken during this “highest day”. hottest of this heat wave”, announced Météo-France. According to provisional values ​​​​read at 5 p.m., the thermometer showed 39.3°C in Brest (against a previous record of 35.1°C in August 2003) , 39.5°C in Saint-Brieuc (compared to 38.1°C in August 2003), 42°C in Nantes (compared to 40.3°C in July 1949) or 42.6°C in Biscarrosse (compared to 41 .7°C in June 2022). 🔴Lanmeur (29): 40.3°C
36.0°C on 07/19/2016. Station open. in 1982.
🔴Saint-Brieuc (22): 39.5°C
38.1°C on 05/08/2003. Station open. in 1985.
🔴Brest (29): 39.3°C
35.1°C on 08/09/2003. Station open. in 1945.
🔴Chassiron (17): 37.3°C
35.9°C on 04/08/2003. Station open. in 1917.— Météo-France (@meteofrance) July 18, 2022 The night from Monday to Tuesday will not give any respite: the temperature will not fall below 25°C from the Loire to Normandy and in eastern Brittany .Thousands of hectares gone up in smokeIn Gironde, two gigantic fires have already burned 15,000 hectares of vegetation, the equivalent of one and a half times the area of ​​Paris. In scorching heat, with more than 40°C, and a sky turning gray-yellow, some 8,000 people had to leave – “preventively” according to the prefecture – two districts of the town of La Teste-de-Buch. The zoo in the Arcachon basin, in La Teste-de-Buch, will evacuate more than a thousand animals due to the smoke. Near the other large fire, located further east inland, south of Bordeaux, 3,500 people were also being evacuated from their homes at midday. Strong gusts of wind will follow the heat wave, Météo-France warned on Twitter: “Mercury drop from 15 to 20° and gusts of westerly wind at 60 to 70 km/h. Sudden phenomenon spreading from the Basque coast to the Arcachon basin between 6 and 9 p.m. “Paris has launched its heat wave plan: parks open until midnight, refreshed rooms open to the public, vulnerable people contacted by telephone. The heat wave is particularly difficult in a prison environment. At the prison of Perpignan, the guards do not always manage to apply the instructions, according to Pierre Grousset, local secretary Ufap-Unsa Justice. “We have cells of 9 m2 where three prisoners are piled up, without shower. In normal times “, three showers per week are planned in collective spaces. Currently, more are needed. But it is not always possible “because there are not enough supervisors, regrets Pierre Grousset. The agricultural world is also suffering. In the middle of the harvest, crop fires, caused by the friction of the blades of combine harvesters, broke out as far as the north of France. The Loire department is testing the spreading of milk of lime on the roadway instead of gravel to limit the rise in temperature and prevent the molten bitumen from sticking to the tires of the cars. , Dordogne, Finistère, Gers, Gironde, Ille-et-Vilaine, Landes, Loire-Atlantique, Lot-et-Garonne, Maine-et-Loire, Morbihan, Deux-Sèvres and Vendée. new departments, bringing the total to 69. The temperatures will drop and “heat wave red vigilance” should be lifted on the vigilance map for Tuesday morning at 6 a.m.”, indicates Météo-France, while the high heat will shift ” over the eastern half of France” with temperatures s between 37 and 40°C.Météo-France also warns of the risk of thunderstorms in the south of the Alps.This heat wave affects all of Western Europe, also causing forest fires in Spain or in Portugal. About half of the territory of the European Union is currently facing a risk of drought, the European Commission announced on Monday. With AFP