Peaks of 39°C possible from Tuesday in the south of the country: a new heat wave is setting in over France, an illustration of global warming which will cause summers "increasingly hot, where 35 degrees will be the norm" .
The intensity and duration of the phenomenon are still difficult to predict, underline the experts of Météo France, but temperatures reaching 36°C and 38°C are expected from this Tuesday in the South-West and the Rhône valley, with locally possible peaks at 39 degrees.
The first heat wave orange vigilance alerts could be launched on Wednesday for certain departments, a decision which will be taken in particular in coordination with the health authorities.
Waves “increasingly frequent”
Two different phenomena explain this high heat, according to Météo France.
In the first part of the week, the compression of particles coming from the Atlantic affects the temperature.
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The wave that begins is associated with a heat dome, which is a cover in which the heat will accumulate, the air will descend close to the ground and compress”, indicates Matthieu Sorel, Climatologist at Météo France.
In the second part of the week, a cold high altitude drop positioned off the Azores will accentuate the burning air.
"We expect at least a duration of eight to ten days", with a peak probably "between Saturday and next Tuesday" (July 19), indicates Sébastien Léas, from Météo France, while stressing that it is too early to evoke a phenomenon that could become comparable to the deadly heat wave of August 2003. These waves will become "more frequent, earlier and later", points out Matthieu Sorel, stressing that scientific studies indicate that they would be less intense in France 1.5°C to 3°C without the effect of climate change.