France urges drivers to stay off the road during ‘hottest hours of the day'
The guidance comes as thousands of UK motorists are in the country for summer holidays.
France is experiencing a harsher heatwave than the UK, with temperatures exceeding 40C in some areas.
Road information service Bison Fute stated that the 'extreme heat' means people should avoid driving during 'the hottest hours of the day (between 12pm and 4pm)'.
It also urged motorists to deploy sun visors across their rear window and rear side windows to reduce the interior temperature of the vehicle.
Tony Rich, head of media for AA roadside operations, said the French authorities are concerned about road surfaces deteriorating in the heat, and people becoming stranded if they break down.
He said: 'Extreme heat can lead to roads melting – they begin to soften at around 50C.
'However, even a sunny day with 20C can be enough to generate enough heat that the asphalt absorbs it and then builds up during the day, with the hottest period between noon and 5pm.
'Officials in France will also be worried about car occupants being stranded on the road.
'A short trip that might not be considered dangerous could become brutal if a vehicle ends up at the roadside and the driver and occupants have not taken adequate precautions against the heat, such as extra water, headgear, sunscreen and other protection.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
Summer trains misery with commuters facing ‘wrong soil' hell after clay under tracks dries up
RAIL commuters face 'wrong soil' hell after clay under tracks dried up so much that trains have to go slow. Services between parts of Essex and London will be hit for two to three months. Similar problems have affected the West Country after the driest spring since 1974. Infrastructure manager Network Rail said it had dropped 12,600 tons of ballast to minimise clay shrinkage on the Essex route in the past year. But this had not been enough to solve the problem. It said speed restrictions had been introduced 'to keep everyone moving safely'. One commuter said: 'I've heard of leaves on the line and the wrong type of snow. "Now the delays are due to the wrong type of soil.' Network Rail Anglia and c2c Railway, which run services across the network, apologised for the disruption. Buses will replace Greater Anglia trains for some late evening journeys on Mondays to Thursdays. Watch the shocking moment cow puts Irish Rail services to a HALT during morning rush 1
BBC News
29 minutes ago
- BBC News
Weather checks and cost sees changes to Wales' holiday bookings
"A lot of holidaymakers are waiting now for the weather forecast before deciding whether to go on holiday or not."A growing trend of Brits booking getaways last minute, as well as a rise in people taking shorter breaks, is having a mixed impact on Welsh tourism well as the unpredictable weather, saving money is also thought to be a key factor driving this change in behaviour, as well as wanting to get the most from their time away, according to industry means some, such as campsite owners, are seeing a spike in bookings, but those with holiday let properties said this shift in priorities was hitting them hard. "We have seen it growing in the last decade," said Linda Osti, senior lecturer in tourism at Bangor University."As a society we are moving towards this 'I want to have more', so [we] wait to the last minute to see what's better."She also said this meant people keeping a keen eye on the weather forecast before "deciding whether to go on holiday or not". Adam Owen and his partner Nia Evans, from Caernarfon, are good examples of people doing just that, as well as being part of a growing trend of families choosing to stay local."When the weather's nice we just decide, last moment, to come," explained Adam, while enjoying a few days' break with his three children at Riverside Camping just outside their hometown."Although we're only five minutes from the house, it just feels like a break." Riverside Camping is run by Catherine Hummel and her family, and said last-minute getaways for those on a smaller budget brought a real boost."Longer stays are easier because it's less moving about on the field, comings and goings, but the short, last-minute stays, fill in the gaps."It does bring extra trade and we like seeing local trade as much as people from further afield... so it's a real mix." The British Holiday and Homes Park Association said there had been "a discernible shift away from week-long and fortnight-long holidays which has been evident for the past few years".It added: "However, this perhaps simply reflects the way people now use their leisure time, preferring to take shorter breaks but more of them throughout the year and re-charging their batteries on a more regular basis over the four seasons." said the number of people looking in July for a break during the six-week school holiday was up 23% on Holiday Cottages, which has 23,000 properties across the UK, said the gap between when people book and when they go on holiday had fallen by 8% this year. But this trend is hitting many of those running traditional holiday lets hard, according to the Professional Association of Self-Caterers (PASC) UK."People are now booking much shorter holidays which means they are not filling all the weeks, so you've got dead days that you can't fill in a week," according to Nicky Williamson, its lead policy advisor in Wales."The shorter breaks have as much work in them as a longer break - you're still paying for the change overs, you're still paying for the linen. You've still got the same amount of work for a one-night stay as a seven-night stay."PASC said a growing number of shorter breaks made it harder for holiday let operators to achieve occupancy rates of 182 days over the they do not hit this figure, they face paying extra council tax as owners of a second property or holiday Ms Osti said this change to short break, last-minute holidays was being seen across Europe and only looked likely to grow.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
French president Emmanuel Macron makes the most of his summer as he skips over the waves on his jetski... while Brigitte watches on
Speeding around the Med on a jetski with his biceps on display, you might think this was a Hollywood star filming a set-piece for an action movie. Au contraire – under those tinted sunglasses it was French president Emmanuel Macron enjoying a summer getaway in the south of the country. And while critics may question how much political muscle he has flexed during his eight-year presidency, there was no doubting the 47-year-old was in good shape. He showed off his muscular physique and six-pack stomach as he posed topless, wearing only black swimming shorts aboard a yacht with wife Brigitte, 72, and their friends near Fort de Bregancon on Thursday. The French leader is no stranger to a jetski and has often been spotted ripping along the waves in recent years. Meanwhile, Mrs Macron decided against motor sports, opting to stay on board as she sported a white jacket, white cap and sunglasses while she chatted with two female friends. She remained on the top deck while her husband enjoyed a laugh with his bodyguards on the side of the boat. The French president's holiday came just a day after he took part in a phone call with Donald Trump and other European leaders ahead of the US leader's summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Alaska yesterday. He showed off his muscular physique and six-pack stomach as he posed topless And the couple's getaway was possibly just what the doctor ordered, as it comes just months after Mrs Macron was caught on camera shoving her husband in the face. The incident happened as the couple touched down in Vietnam in May, but the French president brushed it off as just a joke. Fort de Bregancon is a medieval fortress off the French Riviera and has been the official holiday residence for all French premiers since 1968.
