Heatwave in France: highs of 38C expected in southern regions today

[Update August 9 at 16:50 - There are now 18 departments under the orange heatwave warning: Charente, Charente-Maritime, Dordogne, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Landes, Loire-Atlantique, Lot, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées, Deux-Sèvres, Tarn-et-Garonne, Tarn and Vendée join Gard, Vaucluse, Lot-et-Garonne and Gironde.]

People in southern areas of France should expect temperatures of up to 38C today (August 9) as the fourth heatwave of the year continues.

Four departments – Gard, Vaucluse, Lot-et-Garonne and Gironde – are under an orange Météo France alert for high temperatures and 27 departments in southern and western France have been placed on a yellow heat warning.

Yesterday (August 8), southern regions saw temperatures of around 35C, with Hérault experiencing a high of 39C.

At 05:00 this morning, it was 20C in the Rhône valley and 23-25C along the Mediterranean coast.

Highs of 35-38C are expected today in southern areas, with the northern half of France set for 30C heat. Only around the Channel will it be slightly cooler.

Today’s forecast puts afternoon temperatures at 37C in Toulouse, 36C in Montélimar and Bordeaux, 35C in the Rhône valley and 34C in Lyon.

Brittany and Normandy are expected to experience strong winds of 50-60km/h, and Corsica, the Alps and the Pyrenees are set to see storms.

Overnight, temperatures will remain high, not falling below 26C in Nice, 25C in Perpignan and 24C in Bordeaux.

The heat is forecast to intensify tomorrow from the south west while Mediterranean regions see a slight, temporary drop in temperatures.

This heatwave will reach its peak at the end of the week with southwestern areas most acutely affected.

Related articles

‘No problem’: local feedback in France on 150-litre daily water limit

Drought: France faces winter milk shortage, warns farming union head

Annecy, Lyon, Avignon: The French towns most at risk of rising heat