French officials warned on Thursday that a record heatwave was spreading from Spain to the north, where officials were fighting several wildfires as the country experienced scorching temperatures for a sixth day.
The Meteo France weather service said it was the first warm weather to hit the country since at least 2005, worsening drought by causing an unusually dry winter and spring and increasing the risk of wildfires. .
The Emmett weather service said Spain, which saw its warmest month of May since the start of this century, was sweating temperatures below the forecast of 43 °C (109 Fahrenheit) and expected no relief before Sunday. Not there. The regional government said there had been at least three explosions in Catalonia, including one near Baldomar, about 140 km northeast of Barcelona, which had already burned 500 hectares, but could increase to 20,000 hectares, according to the regional government. Government said. No evacuation order has been ordered so far but people are being urged to stay in their homes.
In neighboring Portugal, the previous month was the warmest since 1931, with most scientists attributing early-season heat to global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions. The heat crossed the Pyrenees in southern France on Tuesday and was set to reach much of the country by Saturday, when thermometers in Paris could reach 38 degrees Celsius.
Officials have already warned of a growing wildfire risk in forests around the capital, and Paris and other regions have issued alerts over ozone pollution, which occurs when intense sunlight turns carbon emissions into smog. .
“I’m 86, I was born here, but I think it’s the worst heat wave ever,” Jacqueline Bonaud told AFP in a shaded park in the southern city of Toulouse.
lightning rail strike
Grid operator RTE said on Thursday that increased use of air conditioners and fans was forcing France to import electricity from neighboring countries, as many of the country’s nuclear reactors are offline for potential corrosion risks or maintenance assessments.
The intense heat is also lowering river levels, meaning that some nuclear plants must reduce production because the water used to cool the reactors is too hot, without endangering plants and wildlife. does not return to the waterway.
Spain, Italy and other countries have recently limited the use of air conditioners to save energy, and French Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runner told France 2 television that she was considering the same.
Meteo France issued a heatwave alert on Thursday covering half the country in the south and west and said more departments would be affected in the coming days.
“Saturday will peak with temperatures of 35 to 39 degrees across much of the country,” said Tristan Amm, a forecaster for the agency.
Schools have stockpiled water and many have moved year-end exams to north-facing rooms, while some departments in the south have said classes will be canceled on Friday afternoon.
Cities such as Bordeaux have installed fogging devices on even the hottest squares and streets.
Rail operator SNCF has warned of possible delays as trains are forced to slow down as the heat has deformed the tracks or damaged electrical equipment.
SNCF regional director Thierry Rose said the heat “affects our infrastructure”, noting that track-level temperatures in Bordeaux reached 52 °C on Wednesday.
(Written by Joseph Schmid)
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