Since Monday July 17, 2023, the south of France has been facing very high temperatures. This heatwave episode is indeed due to a heat dome settling in the Mediterranean. It is “an anticyclonic blockage, a closed zone of high pressures which traps hot air at all levels of the atmosphere”, as explained by Météo France. This phenomenon should continue this Thursday, July 20 and in the coming days.
Several departments are already cited as being victims of this rise in temperatures: the Var and Corsica, where “the bar of 35°C to 36°C will still be locally reached”. According to Météo France, this episode of high heat should remain in place at least until Sunday July 23.
After a day on Tuesday during which the thermometer sometimes exceeded 40°C, in Ariège, the Pyrénées-Orientales, in Corsica, in the Var, this Wednesday July 19 saw new records fall, as announced by meteorologists. Several municipalities in the Alpes-Maritimes broke their monthly records for the month of July: Tende with 35 degrees, Le Castellet with 36 degrees and Caussols, located at 1,200 meters above sea level, with 31.3°C.
France is not the only country affected by high temperatures. Several European countries have also issued a red heat wave alert on some of their regions: Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and Spain, reports Météo France. Greece even sees fires ravaging its forests.
Discover in our slideshow below, which departments are affected by this new heat wave day of Thursday July 20, 2023.