Space News from SpaceDaily.com
France swelters under heatwave, putting firefighters on alert
Paris, July 31 (AFP) Jul 31, 2020
Intense heat spread across much of France on Friday ahead of a heavy holiday travel weekend, prompting officials to warn of wildfire risks in exceptionally dry and windy conditions.

Around one-third of the country's 101 departments were on high alert, with Paris forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in the shade after several cities hit record highs Thursday.

Authorities in the capital imposed driving restrictions to limit ozone pollution as tens of thousands of Parisiens prepared to flee to cooler climes, according to the nation's traffic surveillance agency.

"The heatwave requires the state to be vigilant, and everyone to be cautious," Prime Minister Jean Castex said while visiting with firefighters in Bourg-en-Bresse, southeast France.

Earlier Friday, a dramatic wildfire in the middle of the Atlantic coast resort of Anglet was brought under control after it destroyed nearly a dozen homes and forced around 100 people to evacuate.

The blaze erupted late Thursday in the Chiberta forest park at Anglet in southwest France, whose beaches just north of Biarritz draw surfers from around the world.

It was the latest of several that erupted in southern and central France this week, kicking off the annual fire season which officials warn could be worsened by the drought and dry heat.

"Ninety percent of these fires are caused by humans," Environment Minister Barbara Pompili told BFM television, asking people to use "common sense."

Officials also urged families and neighbours to check in on the elderly, and retirement homes are on high alert since air-conditioners are being discouraged over fears they could foster coronavirus contagions.

An increase in COVID-19 cases prompted officials to tighten face mask requirements in several cities this week, with many making them mandatory outdoors despite the heat.

The Meteo France weather agency said that storms could bring relief late Friday in central France. Night temperatures elsewhere are likely to stay high, falling to just 25 Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) in cities like Lyon or Grenoble.

Last year was France's hottest on record, and Meteo France has warned that global warming could double the number of heatwaves by 2050.


ADVERTISEMENT




Space News from SpaceDaily.com
Space Forge and Intuitive Machines team up to boost US orbital chip production
New Martian rock reveals clues about volcanic history on the Red Planet
Six Chinese universities to launch new low altitude space major this fall

24/7 Energy News Coverage
Tens of millions of tons of nanoplastics detected adrift in North Atlantic
Drone swarm explores turbulent airflows near wind turbines
Robot autonomously completes complex surgery guided by voice and video

Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
Airbus to develop advanced PAZ-2 radar satellites for Spanish defence and civil operations
Rocket Lab partners with Bollinger Shipyards to transform Neutron sea recovery platform
Russia fires 136 drones at Ukraine ahead of Trump-NATO head meeting

24/7 News Coverage
ICEYE satellite data accelerates flood relief in southern Brazil
Massive Boulders Ejected During DART Mission Complicate Future Asteroid Deflection Efforts
Peatland restoration shows measurable climate benefits in under a decade


All rights reserved. Copyright Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.