3 days ago
Heatwave and thunderstorm warnings issued in France on Thursday
French weather service Météo France on Thursday issued its first level of warning (yellow) for intense heat in four central French départements.
After storms hit south-west France on Wednesday, the French weather service also warned of thunderstorms in another 30 départements across much of western France, from Normandy and Brittany to Nouvelle-Aquitaine on Thursday.
With 'violent gusts' of wind expected, Météo France
advised
that several départements may shift to the 'orange' (second-highest) weather warning later in the morning.
A screenshot from Météo France on Thursday, June 12th.
Hot temperatures
The French government's weather warnings range from yellow (be aware) to red (potential risk to life) during heatwaves. Typically, heatwave (or canicule) warnings begin with the orange warning level, whereas yellow warnings reference a
pic de chaleur
, or period of intense heat.
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Nevertheless, it is important to remain vigilant, drink water and stay in cool areas.
Explained:
How France's weather warning system works
The départements on the 'yellow' heat warning as of Thursday morning were Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, and Isère.
Temperatures were expected to reach 30C in Paris, Toulouse, Ajaccio, Gap and Belfort on Thursday afternoon, while Lyon was expected to hit 33C. Meanwhile, western France was expected to see temperatures closer to seasonal norms, with 24C expected in Rennes and Nantes, and 19C in Brest.
On Friday, temperatures were also expected to remain elevated across much of the country.
Thunderstorms
With hot and cool air colliding, thunderstorms were expected on Thursday morning along the western coast, and later in the afternoon, storms were expected to move east, with local thunderstorms forecast in central and eastern France.
On Friday, forecasters warned of continued stormy conditions in north-western France, with intense rain and hail in some locations. Gusts could reach up to 80-90km/h,
L'Internaute
reported.
