First heatwave alerts of year issued for much of south-west France

Heatwave warnings are to be issued in south-west France today (June 11), the first of the year, with temperatures set to reach up to 37C in some areas.

This is up to 10C warmer than usual for the season, as cold air above Portugal pushes warm, dry winds into France from the Iberian peninsula and North Africa.

As of 08:00 this morning, eight departments are facing a tier-two yellow alert for a canicule (heatwave): 

Charente, Charente-Maritime, Gironde, Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne, Lot, Tarn-et-Garonne, Tarn

The warnings will come into place at midday, and last until the evening.

Storms are then forecast and will cause temperatures to drop with all heatwave warnings set to be lifted overnight - however temperatures will still reach around 30C on Thursday and rise again on Friday. 

Earlier this afternoon, state forecaster Météo France placed four departments on a tier-three orange warning for storms - Gironde, Landes, Gers, and Lot-et-Garonne. 

This heightened alert is set to last between 16:00 and 22:00 in the departments, with hailstorm, thunder, and winds of up to 100 km/h forecast.

While temperatures have reached higher than this before June 15 (the traditional start of France's potential heatwave warning system) and records are unlikely to be broken, it is still an anomaly to usual conditions for the season.

What do warnings mean? 

Two types of heatwave warnings can be raised by state forecaster Météo France, a canicule or vague de chaleur. 

While both are usually translated as heatwave in English, they have different requirements. 

Today’s canicule warnings are put in place at a departmental level, and are raised when both day and night-time temperatures in a department are higher than usual for three consecutive days.

This level is based on the department’s average temperature, meaning they can be adapted to local conditions.

This is why the current warnings are in place in the south-west – warmer than average for the season, despite being one of the warmest areas of France generally – and not the Mediterranean, where it is only slightly warmer than average at the moment.

Generally, vague de chaleur warnings are raised nationally when overall temperatures reach above a certain threshold.

You can read a more in-depth overview of the differences here.

The warnings are only set to reach a tier-two yellow level today, as temperatures are not significantly above usual levels, and are set to drop by tonight, ending the streak of high temperatures.

During periods of intense or extended heatwaves, higher warning levels (orange and red) can correspond to local authorities implementing heatwave plans, providing greater care for vulnerable residents.

This includes daily check-in calls for vulnerable residents in the department, allocation of more resources to elderly care homes, and more healthcare staff being mobilised.

At a tier-two yellow level however this is uncommon, and usually simply coincides with advice for people to stay safe during the heatwave. 

• Advice includes: 
• Elderly and vulnerable people should avoid vigorous outdoor exercise 
• Employees who work outside (builders, etc) should remain cautious about the heat and avoid strenuous activities
• You should avoid the sun at its peak (midday/early afternoon)
• Drink plenty of water and eat cool foods 

Further tips for coping in a heatwave can be found here. 

Changes to work during hot spells? 

Employees cannot demand to work from home during a heatwave, however those who work in a profession vulnerable to the heat (such as those working outside) may have their work paused. 

However, new rules introduced this year mean employees should provide greater protection for workers during periods of intense heat, including indoor office employees. 

This includes providing greater measures to cool down, such as fans, shutters, sunblockers, and water sprays (brumisateurs).

Fresh water should also be provided – if an employer cannot offer running water, they must offer three litres of fresh drinking water per employee, per day. 

Working hours can also be adapted more easily to avoid the hottest hours of the day, and training and information sessions should be given to employees over new measures. 

Government inspectors are expected to carry out more than a thousand checks this summer to ensure companies are complying with the new rules.