The mercury in thermometers has been climbing for several days now and it could last a few more days. The peak of this heat wave is expected for this Monday, it could be the hottest day ever recorded in France.
Faced with this exceptional climatic phenomenon, no less than 15 departments were placed on red alert by Météo-France, this Monday, July 18.
It is the last level on the scale of weather vigilance which invites the inhabitants of the areas concerned, namely Charente, Charente-Maritime, Côtes-d’Armor, Dordogne, Finistère, Gers, Gironde, Ille-et-Vilaine, Landes, Loire-Atlantique, Lot-et-Garonne, Maine-et-Loire, Morbihan, Deux-Sèvres and Vendée to observe various precautionary measures, due to these “hazardous phenomena of exceptional intensity“.
Various security measures taken
Heat records could be broken in the west and south-west of France, with temperatures reaching 44°C and the mercury not dropping much the following night.
Various specific measures have therefore been decided by the authorities, such as in the Dordogne, where fake fireworks are prohibited until Tuesday midnight, to avoid any risk of fire.
In Morbihan, the prefecture has banned sporting events for the day of July 18, 2022 and access to the woods, forests and moors of 35 municipalities in the department “particularly exposed to the risk of forest fires”.
In Ille-et-Vilaine, the “holding any public, protest, festive, cultural, sporting or commemorative event, outdoors or in non-air-conditioned establishments open to the public, is prohibited from Monday July 18, 2022 at midnight and until Tuesday July 19, 2022 at midnight. announces the prefecture. As in the Dordogne, firing fireworks is also prohibited during the same period.
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Tips for the heat wave
In addition to announcing the heat waves that are coming, Météo-France also reminds you of some common sense advice to follow during this sweltering period:
- Drink water several times a day and eat normally;
- Wet the body several times a day with an atomizer, a washcloth or by taking showers or baths in lukewarm water;
- Do not go out unless imperative or expose yourself to the sun between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.;
- Dress in loose, light and bright clothes;
- Wear a hat or cap if you have to go out;
- Spend 2 to 3 hours a day in a cool or air-conditioned place (library, cinema, supermarket, etc.)
- Avoid any physical activity or sports;
- Ventilate your home at night and early in the morning, then close the shutters and windows during the day.
Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo, recalls that “as it is the responsibility of communities to protect the population, it is the responsibility of employers to protect their employees, especially in construction where the workers are very strongly exposed to heat”.
The measures dictated by the heat wave (close shutters and windows, stay indoors, etc.) are contradictory to those recommended to fight against Covid-19 (maximum ventilation, spend time outdoors, in the fresh air , wearing the embarrassing mask, perspiration making it less effective…). How to reconcile the two? In an article published on Slate.fr, the Swiss epidemiologist Antoine Flahaut returns to this contradiction and recalls that we have not yet developed enough air filtration in public and private establishments, to obtain healthy air indoors. . Strong additional measures in this area are therefore to be decided quickly, to limit the risks of contamination during these periods of heat wave, which are likely to multiply in the future. Simple measures that will protect the most fragile among us, in nursing homes or hospitals for example.