Paris, France – France is bracing for another severe heatwave, just days after a historic one subsided.
Authorities have placed seven departments in the south of the country under orange alert,
with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius.
Warnings have also been issued regarding the increased risk of wildfires.
Alert in southern France
The French meteorological service has announced that a heatwave will initially affect the south and southwest of the country.
Maximum temperatures are expected to range between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius,
and could reach between 38 and 40 degrees in some areas.
The service added that the heatwave will move northward starting Monday.
Furthermore, there is a possibility that the orange alert will be extended
to include additional departments if temperatures continue to rise.
Third heat wave of the year
This is the third heatwave to hit France since the beginning of the year,
following one in May and another exceptional one in the second half of June.
The June heatwave lasted about two weeks and saw record-breaking temperatures.
Meteorologists predict the current heatwave will continue until the end of next week.
However, it may be slightly less intense than the June heatwave, which, according to official estimates,
caused a significant increase in deaths in several European countries.
Forest fire warnings
The meteorological service issued special warnings for Mediterranean coastal areas due to strong winds.
These winds could significantly increase the risk of wildfires.
Authorities have classified seven southern departments as being at high risk of fire.
Meanwhile, firefighters managed to contain a blaze in the Pyrénées-Orientales
department that had burned approximately 1,000 hectares.
Authorities confirmed that the fire is no longer spreading out of control, and monitoring continues to prevent reignition.
