The situation tends to improve in the Pyrénées-Orientales. Early in the morning of Wednesday July 19, Météo-France lifted orange vigilance regarding the heat wave in this department, which remains classified as yellow. While peaks of over 40°C are expected in the Var, the institute continues to call for particular vigilance in the south and south-east of France, as well as in Corsica. Follow the evolution of this heat wave in our live.
Thirteen departments affected by alerts. For Wednesday, Météo-France placed nine departments on orange alert. These are Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard, Hérault, Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Var, Vaucluse, Corse-du-Sud and Haute -Corsica. This list is completed by eight other departments classified yellow, namely Ardèche, Drôme, Hautes-Alpes and Pyrénées-Orientales.
Records broken on Tuesday. On July 18, the thermometer exceeded 40°C for the first time in Verdun in Ariège (40.6°C at an altitude of 550m) and in Serralongue in the Pyrénées-Orientales (40.4°C). C at 700m), according to provisional values recorded at 5 p.m. by Météo-France. Temperatures also broke records in other resorts, including: Alpe d’Huez (1860m) with 29.5°C; Renno in Corsica (755m) with 38.3°C; Aups in the Var (497m) with 38.6°C; Vauvenargues in the Bouches-du-Rhône (565m) with 37.3°C. In all these municipalities, these records are 8 to 11.9°C above normal for the season.
The heat far from disappearing at night. In its bulletin of July 19, Météo-France also warns of the great mildness noted at night. “The temperatures remain at very high levels at the end of the night, notes the institute. We measure at 5 a.m.: 26°C in Montpellier and Béziers, 25°C in Marseille and Nice, 24°C in Arles. It is also very hot in Corsica, with temperatures between 24 and 29 degrees.” Problem: the “tropical nights”, during which the mercury does not drop below 20°C, are much less restorative for the body, recalls the National Institute of Sleep and Vigilance on its site.