New record. Monday was the hottest day ever recorded in France after August 15, announced Météo France. The national thermal indicator (average of temperatures recorded at 30 meteorological stations) reached 26.63°C. This value is more than five degrees higher than normal for the season. The previous record for the end of summer dated back to August 2012, with 26.44°C.
The heat wave in France is exceptionally late. Even more worrying: the peak has not been exceeded. Météo France estimates that it will take place on August 22 or 23 in the center-east of the country, and the next day in the South-West. Temperatures will decline slowly from Friday August 25th.
In the meantime, three municipalities have already broken their absolute heat record. In Vinsobres (Drôme), the mercury rose to 42.4°C on August 21, against 42.1°C the day before. Caunes-Minervois (Aude) recorded a peak of 39.8°C on August 21. The previous record dated from 2003. Finally, in Narbonne (Aude), the thermometer showed 39.8°C, equaling the record of August 2022.
Several cities also broke their monthly records on August 21. Among them: Vallorcine (Haute-Savoie), Tiranges (Haute-Loire) and Pont de Montvert (Lozère).
A late heat wave
In France, heat episodes occurring after August 15 are rare. Only six have intervened since 1947 (2001, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2017), confirming the predictions of climatologists on the impacts of climate change.
For the moment, 49 departments have been placed in orange vigilance on August 22. 4 have been placed on red alert: Ardèche, Drôme, Haute-Loire and Rhône. “In the Rhône Valley as well as in the east of the Massif Central, the heat continues to intensify”, underlined Météo France, noting the “exceptional nature” of the phenomenon in this area “due to its intensity and its duration. “.