PARIS, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Meteo-France has placed 84 departments on orange alert for a heatwave, with temperatures already exceeding 35 degrees Celsius across three-quarters of the country and locally approaching 40 degrees, the agency said on its official website on Monday.
July 1 is expected to mark the peak of this heatwave, which began on June 19, with maximum temperatures forecast to range between 36 degrees and 40 degrees, and isolated peaks reaching 41 degrees. On that day, 16 departments will be placed on red alert.
Starting July 2, a significant drop in temperatures is expected in regions bordering the English Channel and the Atlantic coast. The cooling trend will then gradually move from west to east across the country by the end of the week, except for the Mediterranean coast, where high temperatures could persist for a longer period.
Several preventive measures are already in place. Nuclear reactors have been shut down, schools have been closed, and construction sites have adjusted their working hours, according to local media reports.
According to Meteo-France, an orange alert corresponds to a period of intense heat lasting at least three days and three nights, posing potential health risks to the general population. A red alert applies to an extreme heatwave that is exceptional in terms of duration, intensity, and geographic extent, with major health and societal impacts - including drought, drinking water supply concerns, and the slowdown or shutdown of certain activities. ■