An alert has been sounded in Europe due to an unseasonably strong heatwave hitting France. An absolutely menacing “thermal dome”, a high-pressure zone trapping masses of hot air from North Africa, has blanketed the country. The western part of France and the greater Paris region are at the centre of it, experiencing shocking temperatures.
In fact, a [very serious incident occurred on a train in France as passengers were stranded for four hours without air conditioning as the heatwave raged.
The Météo-France meteorological service warns that this early and highly remarkable episode will have a long duration, certainly lasting until the weekend. Already the authorities have put eight regions on orange alert, with experts sounding the alarm about the effects of the climate crisis.
This level of vigilance corresponds to a major heat wave, meaning a period of intense heat for at least three consecutive days and nights, which is likely to pose a health risk to the entire exposed population.
Yesterday, 18 departments in the western part of the country and the Paris region were put on a yellow heatwave alert, the first tier of three on the relevant scale (yellow, orange and red), the first for a month of May since the creation of this alert tool in 2004.
“The warm spell continues and intensifies a bit more onTuesday. After an even warmer night than the previous one, in some cases a heatwave night in the northwest and in the orange alert areas, temperatures will remain elevated at noon.”
Up to 35 degrees Celsius is expected in Brittany (west) and 36 or even 37 degrees Celsius in the south of the country, according to the APM.
