Heat records broken across france, up to 43c expected today

Dozens of towns recorded temperatures of over 42C yesterday (August 22), as France’s heatwave entered its peak. A number of places also saw their record temperature smashed by measurements

taken yesterday, including in Puy-Saint-Martin (Drôme), where the mercury hit 43.5C – the hottest temperature recorded across the country. _Météo France _has placed 19 departments on red

alert for heatwave conditions, and have advises all people living in these areas to be careful and follow heatwave advice. Weather forecasters predict that temperatures could hit their

‘peak’ in some areas of the south west today and tomorrow, before a storm brings cooler air to the south and ends the heatwave. _Météo France _has issued storm warnings in almost 70

departments, including 25 tier-three orange warnings, mainly around Paris and the Normandy and Hauts-de-France regions. They also warned that temperatures of 43C could be recorded today and

tomorrow, before the heatwave ends. Temperatures recorded by _Météo France _are taken in the shade, and not in direct sunlight, meaning those outside during the afternoon could experience

temperatures even higher. READ MORE: FRANCE HEATWAVE: WHAT DOES A RED ALERT CHANGE FOR THE PUBLIC? HIGHS OF 43.5C RECORDED YESTERDAY Tuesday (August 22) was one of the hottest days of the

heatwave so far, and by the end of the day 19 departments were on red alert. The departments facing the highest level warning are: Drôme, Ardèche, Haute-Loire, Rhône, Ain, Loire, Isère,

Aveyron, Lozère, Gard, Vaucluse, Hérault, Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne, Aude, Lot, Lot-et-Garonne, Haute-Garonne and Gers. Alongside this, 37 departments are facing tier-three orange warnings, and

a further 17 tier-two yellow warnings, for heatwave conditions – you can see the full list of warnings for departments at the Météo France website here. Only northern departments in

Brittany, Normandy, the Île-de-France region, and those near the Belgian border are not facing heatwave warnings. READ MORE: FRANCE HEATWAVE: WHAT TO (AND NOT TO) EAT AND DRINK Five areas

saw measurements of 43C or more yesterday, with the highest – 43.5C in Puy-Saint-Martin – being the highest temperature ever recorded in that area. The graphic below shows the highest

temperatures across France yesterday: Credit: VisActu / The Connexion Alongside Puy-Saint-Martin, Orange (Vaucluse) and St-Barthelemy-de-Vals (Drôme) also saw their highest-ever

temperatures. _Météo France _said that the current heatwave is the latest ever recorded in France, and that Monday’s (August 21) national average temperature (26.6C) was the highest ever

recorded in the country after August 15 since records began. It was also 5.8C higher than the average for the day recorded between 1991 and 2020. In Lyon, temperatures of over 34C have been

recorded everyday for the last 12 days. READ MORE: FRANCE HEATWAVE TIPS: HOW TO SLEEP, KEEP COOL AND STAY HEALTHY TEMPERATURES TO HIT HARD AGAIN TODAY WEDNESDAY AUGUST 23 High temperatures

are set to continue to be recorded across the southern half of the country. Measurements taken at 05:00 showed temperatures of 25C in Lyon and 28C in Nice. Previously, weather forecasters

said the heatwave’s peak would come on Tuesday, but they are now saying today (August 23 and Thursday August 24) will be the warmest days. The areas of the Rhône Valley, Occitanie, the west

of Aquitaine, and south of the Massif Central mountain range will all see temperatures peak between 40C and 42C again today. Certain locations in these areas could also reach 43C, although

there are no precise locations where this is expected. READ MORE: HOW TO KEEP YOUR HOUSE COOL IN THE HIGH HEAT OF THE FRENCH SUMMER Those in the south west of the country are being warned to

stay vigilant, as heatwave warnings could rise to red alert in several departments. By Thursday, a storm entering the country through the north west should begin to lower temperatures, and

should reach the south by Friday, ending the heatwave. Some forecasts predict temperatures could drop by up to 20C between Thursday and Friday in the south as a result. RELATED ARTICLES

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