On Tuesday, France experienced its hottest day ever recorded since measurements began in 1947. The national average, calculated from daytime and nighttime temperatures, reached 29,9°CThe previous all-time record was 29,4°C, reached on July 25, 2019 and August 5, 2003. On Wednesday, June 24, this value had already been equaled at 17 p.m., based on provisional data.
Warmer than 99% of the globe
On Tuesday, only 0,98% of the Earth's surface experienced temperatures higher than those recorded in the hottest spots in France. The few hotter areas were located mainly in parts of the Sahara, the Middle East, and the deserts of the western United States. In France, the highest temperature reached 44,3°C in Pissos, in the Landes region.
Temperatures of 40°C across a large part of the country
The threshold of 40°C was exceeded between Monday and Wednesday on approximately 20% of the territorySeveral absolute records were broken or nearly broken in the west: 43,9°C in Angoulême-La Couronne, 43,8°C in Saintes, 42,7°C in Niort, 42,5°C in Bordeaux, 42,4°C in Angers, 42,1°C in Nantes et 40,8°C in Caen.
Nights without cooling
Monday night into Tuesday was the hottest ever recorded in mainland France, with an average minimum temperature of 21,6°C, above the previous record of 21,4°C Recorded on July 25, 2019. The following night remained extreme, with more than 28°C measurements in Vendée and more 25°C in Paris.
The country is under tension
The red heatwave alert concerned 54 departments on Tuesdaythen 58 wednesdayFor Thursday, June 25th, the level was expected to rise further with 72 departments on red alert et 17 in orange. About 1,800 schools were closed on Tuesday, while 8 000 were subject to adjusted working hours. Level 2 of the Orsan plan was activated to anticipate pressure on hospitals, and construction sites must be stopped at midday in several departments under red alert.
40 drownings since June 18
Since June 18, 40 people drowned in FranceThis comes amid a climate where many residents have sought relief from the heat in rivers, canals, lakes, and unsupervised swimming areas. Authorities have issued a particularly strong warning about the risks of impromptu swimming during periods of extreme heat.
Dry soils, fires, weakened infrastructure
By June 22, soil moisture levels were approaching their driest ever recorded in several regions, notably Alsace, Aquitaine, Auvergne, Limousin, and Midi-Pyrénées. The risk of forest fires also spread to new departments, with more than thirty at high risk. Two nuclear reactors were affected by production cuts in order to limit the warming of rivers.
The heat doesn't stop
The heatwave was expected to continue until the weekend across much of the country, with maximum temperatures still close to 40 to 42 ° C and trying nights. A gradual drop in temperatures was expected along the Atlantic coast, accompanied by sometimes strong storms, but the hot air was expected to persist over a large eastern half of the country.
