A severe heatwave continues to grip much of France this Saturday, stretching as far north as southern Brittany, with 54 departments placed under orange alert by Météo-France on the ninth day of a relentless heatwave also affecting the Iberian Peninsula. The hottest temperatures are forecast in the Aude and Hérault regions, with Montpellier expecting a scorching 42°C by Saturday afternoon.
Local authorities in Montpellier have urged residents to seek out cooler places such as community centres for the elderly, swimming pools, museums, and administrative buildings to escape the intense heat.
This marks the second major heatwave of the summer in France and the 51st since 1947, events that experts say are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change.
Residents are adapting as best they can. In Montpellier, 80-year-old retiree Marie Couture opens her windows early in the morning to bring in cooler air and is considering installing air conditioning after advice from her family.
Meanwhile, 78-year-old Annie Hugot in Nîmes opts for a simple bucket of ice in front of a fan to manage the heat, citing environmental and economic concerns about air conditioning.
The heatwave is worsening fire risks across southern and central France, especially in the Aude, Vaucluse, and Drôme regions, where red alerts are in place for fire danger.
Around 330 firefighters remain deployed tackling a major fire in the Aude that has consumed 16,000 hectares and is not yet contained. Due to these conditions, mountain access in Vaucluse has been restricted, and popular tourist sites like Pic Saint-Loup near Montpellier are closed.
In addition to heat, the Bouches-du-Rhône region faces high ozone pollution levels, leading to continued road traffic restrictions in Marseille.
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Meanwhile, thunderstorms are expected over parts of eastern France and southern Corsica on Saturday, offering some relief in those areas.
The heatwave is projected to ease from the north and west by Sunday and Monday, aided by incoming storms that should bring cooler temperatures and potentially end this prolonged spell of intense heat.
Across Europe, Spain is also enduring a 14th consecutive day of extreme heat, with forecasts warning of fire risks and multiple active wildfires in the region. Recent fires in Spain and Portugal have claimed several lives, underscoring the harsh impact of these soaring temperatures exacerbated by climate change.
(With newswires)
