French heatwave continues with more records likely to be set
37C forecast in south-west with more than 900 areas seeing new May highs
Temperatures are higher than average across France. Archive photo shows a sunset in Lyon (Rhône) during the current heatwave
ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo
The exceptional heatwave across France will continue today (May 28), reaching its peak with the warmest average temperatures across the country.
Heat records are expected to be broken once more in the west and south, following hundreds of new monthly highs being recorded so far.
Highs of 35C in Brittany, 36C around Nantes and 37C around much of the south-west including Bordeaux and Montpellier are forecast.
State forecaster Météo France has placed 17 departments on a heightened orange alert for canicule, including the capital Paris.
It comes after at least seven people have died in relation to the heatwave.
Temperature recordings are taken in the shade and do not account for factors such as sunshine (or in adverse conditions, wind and rain), meaning in many cases it can feel even hotter than records state.
People are urged to be careful and stay cool, particularly in areas where heightened warnings are in place.
Our article here has tips on staying cool, and we cover France’s heatwave emergency plans in our article here.
National highs
The effect of the heat dome (dôme de chaleur) currently above France – effectively trapping hot air by making it unable to escape – has meant that temperatures continue to climb as the heatwave progresses, which is exacerbated by the warm, dry, and sunny conditions.
The national average temperature expected for today is 25.3C, the highest of the year so far and the highest ever recorded in May.
This measures the heat across the entire country for the duration of the day, and shows just how intense the heatwave has been.
In contrast, the typical national average temperature for late May is around 17.3C. This means that currently, temperatures across the entire country are some 8C higher than typical for the season.
While temperatures are higher than average across much of the country, the intense localised heat in some areas is bringing up this national average.
At a more local level, more than 900 heat records for May have been broken since Monday (May 25), mostly in the west, east, and south-west.
In contrast, almost no records have been broken in the Alpine areas or Riviera.
Current forecasts predict temperatures will remain around this level on Friday (May 29), before dropping slightly over the weekend. A more pronounced drop is expected at the start of next week, combined with storms.
