Seventy-eight departments, including Rhône, Hauts-de-Seine, Calvados and Finistère, are on orange heatwave alert. Weeks of drought have led the authorities to impose successive restrictions on water use.
France is facing another spell of intense heat. On Wednesday, the heatwave is spreading across much of the country, with 78 departments placed on orange alert. In several regions, temperatures will climb above 35°C, while in some areas, such as Corsica, the mercury could exceed 40°C on Thursday.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
This prolonged heat is making everyday life harder for residents. In Bordeaux, as elsewhere, some people have no choice but to keep their windows closed during the day and limit their movements to the coolest hours. Nights are also proving difficult, with temperatures struggling to drop, particularly in the west of the country.
In these conditions, the authorities recommend drinking water regularly, staying cool and paying particular attention to vulnerable people, such as older people and young children. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables and cool showers can also help people cope better with the high temperatures.
But the heatwave is not the only cause for concern. The lack of rainfall (source in French) is worsening the drought. Soils remain extremely dry and small rivers are in a particularly worrying state. Nearly 1,400 waterways are thought to have run dry, according to the OFB, the French Office for Biodiversity. (source in French) Restrictions on water use now affect a very large majority of the population in mainland France and in Corsica.
This succession of heatwaves, which are becoming more frequent and more intense in the context of global warming, highlights the growing difficulties France needs to prepare for. A return to more bearable temperatures is not expected before the weekend.
