Heatwave: nearly 200 heat records this weekend

Heatwave nearly 200 heat records this weekend

Saturday, June 18 was historic in France with more than 180 monthly heat records broken, including 16 absolute records: in some cities, it was never as hot as on this day, all months combined.

The early heat wave of this month of June reached its peak of intensity on Saturday June 18 with a shower of records. The very high temperatures began on Wednesday June 15 in the southwest, before rising towards the North-West, the Paris region, then the Center-East and the North-East over the weekend. In addition to being the earliest heat wave ever recorded, the event was intense, and even historic in certain regions such as New Aquitaine, Occitanie, Pays-de-la-Loire and Brittany.

Among all-time highs, Saturday’s highest values ​​are:

  • Pissos (Landes): 43.4°C which beat the old record established a few days before (41.7°C);
  • Biarritz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques): 42.9°C which beat the old record of 40.6°C in August 2033;
  • Pointe de Socoa (Pyrénées-Atantiques): 42°C which beat the old record of 40.6°C in July 2020;
  • Lège Cap Ferret (Gironde): 41.9°C which broke the old record of 40.2°C in June 2015.

But also, further north, many records of heat monthly:

  • Le Mans (Sarthe): 39.7°C which broke the June 2019 record;
  • Orléans (Loiret): 37.9°C which broke the June 2019 record;
  • Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine): 35°C which broke the record set a few days earlier;
  • Épinal (Vosges): 36.8°C which broke the June 2019 record;
  • Évreux (Eure): 36.1°C which broke the June 2019 record;
  • Trappes (Yvelines): 35.8°C which broke the June 2011 record.

It should be noted that, for most of these towns, the first surveys weather reportmaking it possible to set records, date back to the 1940s and 1950s.

A historic difference compared to the averages of the season

Concerning the anomalies, this Saturday, June 18 ranks in the Top 5 of the days with the greatest “hot” temperature difference compared to the average temperatures of the summer period. Moreover, at the global level, no other country in the world presented such a deviation from normal on this Saturday, June 18.

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