French government to host crisis meeting as heatwave intensifies

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 Aug 2023 18:31
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This comes after four of mainland France's 96 departments and Corsica have become at increased fire danger and dryness that affected two-thirds of water tables.

Many French people have been keeping to the shade as high temperatures weigh on the country (AFP)

According to Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne's office, France's government announced Thursday that it would host a crisis meeting to address a heatwave that might peak at the weekend.

At 5:00 pm, senior employees from Borne's office, the interior, agriculture, health, and transport ministries were scheduled to meet.

After 2022's harsh heat and fierce wildfires, Paris has been boosting up its hot weather protection measures this summer, with four of mainland France's 96 departments and Corsica currently being at increased fire danger and dryness that affected two-thirds of water tables.

On Monday night, a 500-hectare area of the Pyrenees-Orientales department near the Spanish border was burnt.

The Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur area saw a heatwave in July that resulted in at least 30 more deaths than usual, on top of the 80 that were reported during the first incident in June, according to the SPF public health authority on Thursday.

Out of the 61,000 fatalities recorded throughout Europe last summer, more than 4,800 were in France.

Most of southern France was predicted to see temperatures exceeding 30°C (86 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, with peaks reaching up to 37°C.

In the upcoming days, a so-called "heat dome" that traps new hot air coming from the south is anticipated to form.

"These high temperatures are set to last, with peaks nearing 40C on the Mediterranean coast and the Rhone valley from this weekend," according to weather authority Meteo France.

Paris is expected to reach 35°C as heat waves sweep across central and northern France.

Until "the middle or even the end of this week," according to Meteo France, thermometers won't start to dip.

With an average temperature of 27 degrees reported over many days across 30 monitoring stations nationwide, meteorologists have even predicted that France could see its most extreme heatwave ever, surpassing 2012's record.