Temperatures continue to rise this Wednesday, May 27, with five more departments added to the orange alert list and highs expected to reach 38C in some communes.
Tuesday, May 27, set a new national record for high temperatures in the month of May, surpassing Monday, which had already broken the previous record.
Météo-France said the episode of exceptional heat will continue through Wednesday and Thursday, extending further south across the country.
The weather will remain mostly dry and sunny, although a few thunderstorms are possible from Lower Normandy to Poitou, extending into northern Occitanie and the Southern Alps. Storms in Normandy could become locally intense, with a risk of hail and strong gusts.
Minimum temperatures this morning ranged from 13C to 20C, although some areas under orange alert recorded overnight temperatures as high as 22C to 23C.
This afternoon, highs are expected to range from 30C to 35C across much of the country, reaching 36C to 37C in Poitou-Charentes and Centre-Val de Loire, and 36C to 38C from Aude to the central Rhône Valley.
Along the coast, however, conditions will remain more bearable, with temperatures staying below 30C.
The departments now placed under orange heatwave alert, where heightened vigilance is advised, are: Charente (16), Charente-Maritime (17), Côtes-d’Armor (22), Finistère (29), Gironde (33), Ille-et-Vilaine (35), Loire-Atlantique (44), Maine-et-Loire (49), Manche (50), Mayenne (53), Morbihan (56), Deux-Sèvres (79), and Vendée (85).
Health authorities are continuing to urge people to take precautions during the heatwave, particularly older people, young children, pregnant women and those with chronic health conditions. Residents are advised to stay hydrated, keep homes cool by closing shutters and windows during the hottest hours of the day, avoid strenuous activity and check regularly on vulnerable neighbours or relatives.
You can check whether your department is affected by a vigilance alert on the map below.
