Paris swelters as France sees third heatwave this year

Authorities tell residents to be vigilant as temperatures near 40C

A pharmacy sign records the temperature in Nimes, France, on 1 August, 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

Temperatures in France have soared into the high 30s as the country contends with its third heatwave of the year.

The mercury was set to reach 40C near the city of Toulouse on Wednesday, while swathes of central and southern France were predicted to see highs of 38C. In total, some 27 departments have received an “orange” weather alert due to the heat.

Authorities in Paris warned residents in a tweet to be “extremely careful” and to stay out of the sun where possible.

The Ile-de-France prefecture also asked people to lower their water usage as the city is suffering from a “major dry spell”.

From Friday, temperatures will fall significantly in northern France and will dip under 30C, but in some parts of the south they will remain close to 35C.

The current heatwave, which is likely to peak on Wednesday, should be shorter than the 14-day heatwave experienced last month, according to Meteo France, the country’s weather agency.

As well as sweltering temperatures, the country has had to deal with massive wildfires, with tens of thousands of people forced to flee their homes in July, one of the driest months ever recorded in France.

"Great fires are accelerating," president Emmanuel Macron said last month, saying climate change had made them more common.

This year’s three heatwaves mean there have now been 46 in France since 1947, with the phenomenon becoming much more prevalent in recent decades. The country has seen three times as many heatwaves in the last 35 years as it did in the previous 35, Meteo France said.