No department is on heat wave alert, even orange, Météo-France announced Thursday afternoon, thus putting an end to an episode of high heat that hit much of the country for a week.
The alert was completely lifted at 4 p.m.
Up to 15 departments, including the whole of Ile-de-France and Hauts-de-France, had been placed on heatwave red alert because of the risk of excess mortality linked to very high temperatures, combined with pollution in the air. ozone and the Covid-19 epidemic. All red vigilance had been lifted on Wednesday, leaving 47 departments of a large northeastern quarter in orange vigilance. Then 21 still remained in orange vigilance Thursday morning, before the announcement of the total lifting at 4 p.m.
A heat wave less intense than in 2019
The multiplication of heat waves is one of the clearest markers of global warming and even if this new episode will not have reached the intensity of those of 2019, with a record at 46 ° C, nor the length of the historic heatwave of 2003, it should rank among the five most severe suffered by the country. This heat wave should nevertheless reach the top 5 of the most severe in France, with tropical nights, the bar of 40 ° C once again crossed on many weather stations or series of several consecutive very hot days for some. towns, even north of the Loire.
The night of August 9 to 10, the hottest of the year
For example, the historic station of Paris-Montsouris recorded six days above 35 ° C in one week (against 9 consecutive days in 2003), with a peak at 39.1 ° C. The night of August 9-10 has been the mildest of the year so far, "'tropical' even across the country with an average of just over 20 ° C on the national thermal indicator. A value reached only once between 1947 and 2002, 21 times since 2003 ", commented the forecaster Gaétan Heymes on Twitter.