South east France on heatwave warning, north west on storm alert

There are 17 French departments under Météo-France orange weather alerts this morning (July 22), with the south east still experiencing high heat and storms forecast in the north west.

Some 13 departments are on an orange canicule warning: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, Gard, Isère, Rhône, Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Var and Vaucluse.

“This Friday afternoon, maximum temperatures will generally be 34-38C, with highs of 39-40C in the departments on orange alert,” Météo-France has said.

At night, people in departments under an orange alert should expect temperatures of more than 20C, and even 22-26C in coastal areas.

Yesterday, the heat reached 39C in Gard, Bouches-du-Rhône and Var.

The high temperatures are likely to last until the beginning of next week in this area of France, although they may fluctuate slightly.

Do I need to do anything?

People in departments under an orange heatwave alert should:

• Drink water several times a day
• Continue to eat normally
• Wet their skin with a spray or flannel, or take lukewarm baths or showers
• Avoid going out between 11:00 and 21:00
• Wear a hat and lightweight clothes if they do need to go out
• Try to spend at least a few hours in a cool or air conditioned room
• Limit physical and sporting activities
• Keep their shutters, windows and curtains closed during the day and open them at night
• Check on vulnerable friends and relatives
• Call a doctor if feeling unwell

Storms

Four departments in northwestern France – Eure, Oise, Seine-Maritime and Somme – are also under an orange alert for storms, with Météo-France stating that “quite severe stormy showers will be accompanied by a high volume of precipitation (typically around 30mm/h), sometimes hail and strong gusts of wind.”

Much of the northern half of France – apart from Brittany – is under a yellow warning for these storms.

Do I need to do anything?

People in areas affected by the storms should:

• Stay away from bodies of water
• Shelter in a sturdy building
• Keep up to date with the situation
• Avoid going out if possible
• Secure possessions which could be blown or washed away

You can keep up to date with Météo-France’s alerts on their website at this link or on their Twitter page here.

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