Yanis Darras 1:49 p.m., September 12, 2022, modified at 1:52 p.m., September 12, 2022

France is experiencing a major heat wave on Monday in the south-west of the country.

Locally, temperatures could reach 39 or even 40 degrees.

If the episode will be particularly intense, it will also be particularly short since the temperatures will drop from Tuesday.

But then: how to explain this sudden rise in temperatures?

35 in Bordeaux, in Tarbes, 30 degrees in Tours, 29 in Rennes... In the south-west of France, the thermometer rises spectacularly on Monday.

Locally, it could cross the 40 degree mark.

Unusual temperatures for early September.

Météo France stresses that significant differences between seasonal norms and today's temperatures are to be noted.

In Tours, the temperature on Monday afternoon will be 9 degrees higher than what it should be.

In Bordeaux, the difference will even be 12 degrees.

But why is such a heat wave hitting France? 

#Very high temperatures expected this #Monday#September 12 afternoon in the #southwest.


#Bordeaux*: 38°C (~13°C > normal)


#Agen, #Tarbes, #Biarritz: 36°C


#Montauban and #Auch: 35°C



*Bordeaux: monthly record on 09/17/1987 with 37° C pic.twitter.com/8dhRCRuPgr

— Meteo-France (@meteofrance) September 12, 2022

Hurricane Danielle acts as a heat pump

At the origin of this sudden rise in temperatures: hurricane Danielle, which, as it approached the European coasts, became a simple depression.

But this depression, still present off Portugal, acts as a heat pump.

So, upon arriving on the continent, the depression spins counter-clockwise, sending warm air from North Africa, towards southern Europe and looks like what meteorologists call, a heat feather. 

>> READ ALSO: Heat wave, heat wave, dome, feather... Understand everything about the different phenomena

A phenomenon now very well known to the French, since France was already affected by this kind of weather situation last June. 

Exceptional temperatures… but on a single day

If the thermometer climbs quickly, it should return to more normal levels as early as Tuesday.

Indeed, rain and thunderstorms are expected by Météo France from Tuesday, thus allowing temperatures to drop a little.

But they will remain high in the southwest, 31 degrees expected in the afternoon in Bordeaux, 30 in Toulouse or 32 in Tours. 

The next day, however, the sun and the heat will have given way to particularly unstable weather.

Showers sometimes accompanied by violent thunderstorms will take place almost all over the country, with the exception of the Atlantic coast.

The temperatures will be milder since we expect Wednesday afternoon, 27 degrees in Bordeaux, or 29 in Toulouse. 

The cause of global warming? 

If the summer of 2022 was particularly hot, this episode of heat is hardly linked to global warming, we warn at Météo France.

Contacted by Europe 1, Tristan Amm, forecaster at Météo France, is not alarmed by this rise in temperatures.

This is a much different peak than September 2020, he pointed out.

A record year, where the country had experienced a major heat wave.

In September 2020, a particularly remarkable episode of heat, much more lasting (from 11 to 17) and unprecedented in some respects, affected the country.



Here are some numbers ⬇️


More info: https://t.co/747ifq1qBepic.twitter.com/RYbgIfvmk

— Meteo-France (@meteofrance) September 12, 2022

The thermometer had then reached 35 degrees in Troyes or Lille.

Unheard of for a month of September explained the agency two years ago.