In response to an ongoing spell of intense heat, France has issued a "red alert" – its most severe warning level – for four southern regions. The alert has been activated in an effort to safeguard residents against the sweltering temperatures expected to peak at a scorching 41 degrees Celsius in the Rhone Valley.
The regions impacted by this high-level alert include Rhone, Drome, Ardeche, and Haute-Loire, as stated by France's national meteorological agency, Meteo France. The issuance of this red alert empowers local authorities to take necessary actions, such as canceling events and closing public facilities, to ensure the safety and well-being of citizens. The alert officially came into effect at 1600 local time on August 21.
This marks the sixth instance where the French meteorological service has activated the red alert, a crucial element of the government's comprehensive plan to shield the population during periods of extreme weather. Notably, this is the first occurrence of a red alert this year, indicating the exceptional nature of the current heatwave.
Prior to the red alert, Meteo France had already raised an orange alert for half of the nation's territory, citing anticipated temperatures ranging between 35 and 38 degrees Celsius in the majority of affected departments. In specific areas, like the southwest and Rhone Valley, temperatures were projected to surge to as high as 41 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, EDF (Électricité de France), the French power company, declared the prolongation of the outage at its 1.3-gigawatt Golfech 2 nuclear reactor in the southwestern part of the country. The reactor was shut down due to concerns over river water temperatures, which had surged beyond permissible limits as a result of the ongoing heatwave. EDF officials stated that both high river temperatures and technical glitches at the reactor contributed to delaying the anticipated restart until August 25. The reactor had initially been offline since March 27 and had been scheduled for a restart on August 27.
Additional concerns were raised as water temperatures for cooling purposes at the Bugey plant and another reactor along the Rhone River in the southeast were predicted to exceed governmental recommendations by August 24, according to data from Refinitiv. EDF had already issued alerts about potential production shortages at the Bugey plant.
The red alert and subsequent warnings highlight the urgency of addressing the escalating heatwave and its associated challenges, prompting both governmental and private sector responses aimed at protecting the safety and infrastructure of affected regions.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Threads pages to keep up to date on world news.
Comments (0)