A map almost all red and orange. In the last point of Météo France at 6 a.m. this Thursday, the organization announces that it will maintain 17 departments in heat wave red vigilance, Hérault and Aude, return to orange vigilance. From now on, 39 departments are on heat wave orange vigilance and 25 departments in the northern half are placed on orange storm vigilance.
This Thursday at 6 a.m., Météo France downgraded Aude and Hérault to orange vigilance. The 17 departments placed in heat wave red vigilance are the following from Rome: Ain, Ardèche, Aveyron, Drôme, Gard, Haute-Garonne, Gers, Isère, Loire, Haute-Loire, Lot, Lot-et-Garonne, Lozère, Rhône, Tarn , Tarn-et-Garonne and Vaucluse.
In addition, 37 departments are kept on orange alert for a heat wave. Are concerned by this alert: Allier, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-Maritimes, Ariège, Aude, Bouches-du-Rhône, Cantal, Charente, Charente-Maritime, Cher, Corrèze, Haute-Corse, Hérault, Côte-d’Or, Creuse, Dordogne, Doubs, Gironde, Indre, Jura, Landes, Nièvre, Puy-de-Dôme, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées, Pyrénées-Orientales, Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, Haute-Saône, Saône-et-Loire, Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Deux-Sèvres, Var, Vendée, Vienne, Haute-Vienne and Territory of Belfort.
Finally, Météo France places 25 departments in the northern half of the country on orange alert for thunderstorms from midnight. Are affected by this alert: Aisne, Calvados, Eure, Eure-et-Loir, Indre-et-Loire, Loir-et-Cher, Loiret, Maine-et-Loire, Manche, Mayenne, Nord, Oise, Orne, Pas- de-Calais, Sarthe, Paris, Seine-Maritime, Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines, Somme, Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, Val-d’Oise.
Temperature records
A new temperature record was broken on Tuesday, the hottest day ever recorded in the country after August 15, according to Météo France, reporting a thermal indicator – or national average – of 27.1 degrees. “On the scale of France, this is the first time that such an intense heat wave has been observed so late in the summer”according to forecasters.
While it was 42.7°C in Orange and 42.4°C in Nyons on Tuesday, two absolute records, the nights are also extremely hot. At the coolest of the night, between Tuesday and Wednesday, Météo France measured 30.4°C in Menton, 29.1°C in Valbonne-Sophia-Antipolis and 28.6°C in Nice.
Peaks at 43°C on Thursday
Minimum temperatures will be very high on Thursday morning, warns Météo France, “often between 20 and 23°C in the orange/red departments, 22-24°C in the Rhône valley, occasionally closer to the Mediterranean. Finally, throughout the south-west up to the Charentes, temperatures will not drop below 23 to 26°C, locally 27°C”.
Regarding Thursday’s maximum temperatures, they will be “globally stationary” compared to this Wednesday, with however a slight drop in the lower Rhône valley (38/40°C), Languedoc-Roussillon (35-38°C) and the Aquitaine coasts (33-38°C).
The temperatures will finally start “a sharp decline” Friday, but they will remain high near the Mediterranean, in the Rhône valley and as far as the Alps, with values between 34 and 38 to 39°C, “before a drop also in this area on Saturday”.
A stormy degradation
Thursday, a stormy deterioration is expected on the northern half, with isolated thunderstorms at first, announces Météo France. This deterioration will continue on Friday. These storms will be accompanied by hail, heavy rainfall and gusts that can reach 80 to 100 km / h, very locally more.