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[EN VIDÉO] Heat wave or heatwave: what’s the difference? In summer, we hear about heat peaks, heat waves and heat waves. The difference is not obvious, but it does come into play for weather alerts or health vigilance plans.
Several records of heat monthly have already been beaten in recent days in France, with 31.7 ° C in Montmorillon in the Vienne and at La Pointe de la Hague in the Channel with 26.6 ° C on Tuesday. The symbolic bar of 30°C has been crossed in many large cities in the north and south of the country.
But over the next few days, the heat will intensify again, and this time, in a truly exceptional way for a month of May. L’anticyclone blocked on the country is at the origin of a heat dome which traps the rise ofair hot from the Sahara over France. The official heat record is 36.2°C in Dax on May 30, 1996, and this value could be exceeded by this weekend: up to 37°C is expected locally in the south-west of the country in weekend. The seasonal average ground temperatures will be exceeded by more than 10°C (and by more than 15°C for the air mass aloft).
An extreme anomaly forecast between Friday and Sunday over the south of France at the level of the air mass at 850 hPa (1500 m) with +17/+18°C compared to normal.
It will probably be up to 37°C loc. even a little more with the possibility of approaching the national record for May. pic.twitter.com/U0JW9rD9tw— Keraunos (@KeraunosObs) May 17, 2022
This period of heat, which does not reach heat wave thresholds, should last until Friday in the northern half of the country and until the end of the weekend in the south, depending on the position of a cold drop which could come and disturb the weather and perhaps refresh it on Sunday. But conditions weather report hot and dry weather is still predicted for next week. If the weather situation is confirmed, this month of May 2022 could be the hottest ever recorded in France!
Ditto for the three consecutive days of indicator >=22°C: it is still possible, but more improbable than probable. It is even still possible that there will ultimately be no day with an indicator >=22°C this week.https://t.co/ismUzCE4kw
— Gaetan Heymes (@GaetanHeymes) May 18, 2022
Record sunshine and almost general fire risk
On May 16, the Parisian sunshine for 2022 reached 750 hours and 48 minutes according to Météo France, a record at this time of the year, exceeding the precedent of 2020. This sunshine exceeds the normal by nearly 40% in the Paris region, the fault of these frequent and lasting anticyclonic blockages which bring abnormally calm and bright weather to the northern half.
The drought rages over three quarters of the country and the risk of fire is “high”, to “extreme”, in many areas of the south-east, but also in the west, and even as far as the Paris basin! The risk of fire is present over almost the entire country, and this risk is “medium” to “high” over three quarters of our territory according to Copernicus. In recent days, fires have already been reported in a forest in the Oise near the Paris basin, but also near Rennes in Brittany, in Cantal, and in Doubs.
A heat dome is setting in over France: what to expect?
Article of Karine Durandpublished on 05/13/2022
An episode of strong heat, with a suffocating damp feeling, will affect France between this Sunday May 15 and Thursday May 19: the thermometer could climb up to 35 ° C locally with a feeling of 40 linked to humidity.
After a first summer heatstroke between Monday 9 and Wednesday 11 May, the mercury will be climbing again in France in the next few days. On May 10 and 11, the average maximum temperature across France reached 26.5 ° C on Tuesday and 25.9 ° C on Wednesday. A few decadal records of minimum temperatures, the values recorded during the night, were even beaten. But these few days of heat did not reach the thresholds of the months of May 1998, 1992, and 1976 marked by temperatures much higher than in 2022.
Suffocating heat and humidity on the program
The heat dome which is again in place from Sunday could this time give rise to temperatures approaching or breaking monthly heat records. The presence of a vast anticyclone will trap the heat coming up from the south, in particular over the southwest. From the end of the weekend, the heat will extend to the northern half, and the maximum will reach 25 to 32 ° C; on the other hand, the weather will remain cooler towards the Channel coasts. These temperatures will be 8 to 10°C above seasonal averages. This heat will intensify between Tuesday and Thursday: 30°C will be exceeded over a large part of the country, and locally 35°C in the southwest, values worthy of August. Nights will also be comparable to those of summer, with up to 19°C in major cities, before cooling off from Friday.
This month of May is likely to become very remarkable as the hot anomaly is expected to persist, at least for the next 10 days. After a relative break on Monday, significant anomalies return (+8/+10°C around 1500 m).
Monthly records could be broken next week. pic.twitter.com/AEkrBa3QPL— Keraunos (@KeraunosObs) May 12, 2022
But another weather parameter will come into play, humidity. In stormy atmosphere (which may locally cause the mercury to drop sooner than expected), the humidity will be high throughout this period of heat. In the southwest of the country, the feeling will probably reach 40, and with a heavy, even suffocating feeling in the middle of the city. Despite some thundery showers, these anticyclonic conditions will continue to worsen the ongoing drought.
Why talk about#Humidex?
This index was invented in America to differentiate dry heat from moist heat, which is much more harmful to the body. 2003 was a dry heat wave, unlike the one to come. At equal T°C, the heat is therefore more difficult this year. pic.twitter.com/Rqlv8ZZen3— Guillaume Séchet (@Meteovilles) June 24, 2019
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