France is bracing for a heat wave this weekend. Code orange will be in effect in many southern regions. The national weather service even states that ‘this period will be one of the warmest of this summer’.
The predicted minimum temperatures will continue to rise, which means that in some places it will not get cooler than 20 to 23 degrees at night. Around the weekend, temperatures in the southern regions of Languedoc-Rousillon and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur can reach 41 degrees during the day.
The heat alert was initially only issued for 19 departments in the country. On Friday, that was expanded to 28 areas. The French government has also opened a special telephone number. People can call the number for information on how to adapt to the extreme heat.
A heat dome is expected to form in the coming days. A powerful high-pressure area in the south stays in the same place for a long time, causing the warm air to hang over a certain area like a lid. This increases the chance of higher temperatures for a long period of time. According to scientists, a heat dome is not a rare phenomenon. However, it is becoming more common nowadays due to climate change.
“Let’s take care of each other,” President Emmanuel Macron has reported on X (formerly Twitter). He also urged people to stay in cool places, drink plenty of fluids and keep an eye on vulnerable compatriots.
Umbrella
The ANWB advised holidaymakers on Friday to be careful. For example, the service came up with advice to put an umbrella in your car, for example, in case you end up with a breakdown in the blazing sun.
Holidaymakers driving through France should open the doors and windows of the car before departure. “This way the worst heat can escape,” said a spokeswoman. It is also important to make sure that the car is well maintained and that the air conditioning is working. According to the spokeswoman, it is wise not to set the air conditioning too high: not colder than six degrees below the outside temperature. “Otherwise the difference will be too big and you will get a hit from the heat when you get out of the car.” For a pleasant temperature in the rear seat, the rear side windows can be covered with a sunshade or towel.
The ANWB expects a lot of traffic on the roads in France this coming weekend, especially on Saturday. This mainly concerns Dutch people who are going home.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.
#Heat #wave #reaches #France #temperatures #degrees #care