Wildfire risk alerts raised across southern France
Météo-France warns that rising temperatures and dry vegetation are creating favourable conditions for fires
Two new departments have been added to the Météo-France vigilance list
Hadrian/Shutterstock and Météo-France
Five departments are under orange alert this Thursday, with Météo-France indicating that a sharp rise in temperatures and strong winds has increased the risk of forest fires.
The south of France is particularly affected, as "the high temperatures of recent weeks have dried out vegetation around the Mediterranean coast", Météo-France explains.
The elevated risk also comes as France prepares for another spell of exceptionally hot weather this weekend, with temperatures forecast to reach 35C in parts of the south-west and remain above seasonal averages into next week.
The five departments under orange alert are: Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude, Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse and Var.
On Wednesday, four departments were under orange alert (high fire risk). Today, two new departments – Pyrénées-Orientales and Vaucluse – have been added to the vigilance list, while Hérault has been downgraded to a yellow alert (moderate fire risk).
An orange alert means that weather conditions strongly influence the risk and spread of fires, with danger levels significantly higher than seasonal norms.
Meanwhile, eight departments are under yellow alert: Gard, Ardèche, Drôme, Hérault, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud.
The situation is expected to ease tomorrow, with Météo-France predicting that only three departments will remain under high vigilance: Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude and Var.
Authorities are also reminding people to remain vigilant, as most forest fires in France are caused by human activity. Anyone who sees a fire should immediately alert the emergency services by calling 112 or 18.
