Fifteen departments are now placed on heat wave red vigilance, which was extended on Saturday to 6 new departments in the north of the country, i.e. all of Hauts-de-France and Seine-et-Marne, because of a heat wave expected to last at least until Tuesday, Météo-France announced. "All the Ile-de-France is in red with Seine-et-Marne", as well as "the five departments of Hauts-de-France" (Aisne, Nord, Oise, Pas-de-Calais and Somme), Olivier Proust, forecaster at Météo-France told AFP.
Credits: Météo-France
The red heat wave alert, which is only used for the third time (including two in the summer of 2019), already concerned since Friday Paris and the inner suburbs, Essonne, Val d'Oise, Yvelines, the 'Eure and Seine-Maritime, because of "the risk of excess mortality in the current health context linked to ozone pollution and Covid, as well as in connection with the sensitivity in highly urbanized areas", according to Meteo France.
Alsace in orange vigilance
In addition, the two departments of Alsace (Haut-Rhin and Bas-Rhin) were placed in orange vigilance, bringing to 49 the number of departments classified in this category. "This heat wave will be particularly severe in Normandy and in Hauts-de-France and less severe for the regions further south," said Olivier Proust.
This scorching episode "characterized by very hot even tropical nights" promises to be lasting, "at least until Tuesday", and "a marked stormy degradation should put an end to it, from the west from Wednesday", underlines Météo -France. "This heat wave should be among the 5 most severe known by France in recent decades, behind the historic heatwaves of 2003 and 2006", according to the same source.