France Swelters in Heat: 80 Departments Under Warning
A new heatwave has hit Europe, with temperatures in parts of France potentially reaching 40 degrees Celsius.
A new heatwave has hit Europe, with temperatures in parts of France potentially reaching 40 degrees Celsius.
France's national weather service, Meteo-France, issued an orange heat warning on Thursday for 80 of the country's 96 departments, the second-highest level of weather alert. Temperatures of 38 to 40 degrees Celsius are expected in some parts of the country, according to TASS English, citing a Meteo-France report.
According to data from the Anadolu Agency, 50 departments are also under an orange alert due to a high risk of forest fires. At the same time, the agency reports that numerous nighttime temperature records have been broken across France, making it harder for cities to cool down and putting additional strain on the healthcare system.
The heatwave is not limited to France. According to calculations by the AFP news agency, areas of Europe home to more than 135 million people, particularly in France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom, will see temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius on Thursday.
The analysis, based on forecasts from the German weather service and 2025 population projections from the Joint Research Centre, shows that temperatures will exceed 30 degrees for nearly three out of five European residents, excluding Turkey. That amounts to approximately 340 million people, and the results are consistent with data from the Austrian NGO Klimadashboard, reports Hespress English.
What particularly concerns meteorologists are nighttime temperatures that do not drop low enough to allow the body to recover. The Anadolu Agency reports several nighttime temperature records broken across France, a phenomenon that is increasingly accompanying heatwaves in Europe.
The orange alert, which is the second-highest level of weather warning, means that residents should take precautions, especially vulnerable groups such as the elderly and children. French authorities have not yet announced additional measures at the national level, but they are urging caution and advising people to follow local advisories.
