France puts four departments on red alert for Tuesday as country is gripped by heatwave

A woman sits in the shade in high temperatures in Marseille, southern France, Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole) - Copyright AP Photo/Daniel Cole

By Euronews with AFP, AP

Published on 21/08/2023 - 20:10•Updated 20:11

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Extra vigilance ordered in Drôme, Ardèche, Rhône and Haute-Loire.

Four French administrative regions have issued red alerts from Noon on Tuesday as a heat wave grips the country.

The public has been ordered to be on the highest level of vigilance in the departments of Drôme, Ardèche, Rhône and Haute-Loire.

In addition, 49 other departments will be on orange alert on Tuesday. The Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, had previously indicated that four departments would "tip" into the red by the end of the day on Monday.

Le Monde reported that in 2022, Santé publique France (SPF), the government health agency, recorded an excess of 2,816 deaths compared to the last five years directly related to three heat waves in France in the summer of 2022.

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