The intense heatwave gripping France is expected to persist until at least July 14, according to the French Meteorological Service (Météo-France). For Thursday, forecasters are predicting temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in Nantes and Bordeaux, while in Paris the mercury is set to climb between 35 and 38 degrees. Lyon is expected to reach up to 36 degrees, Clermont-Ferrand 36, Limoges 37, and Toulouse up to 38 degrees Celsius.
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Meanwhile, French authorities announced that a reactor at a nuclear power plant located 90 kilometres from Toulouse was shut down today due to the extreme temperatures recorded in the Garonne river basin. According to the official statement, weather conditions over recent days have caused a significant rise in the temperature of the Garonne river, which is expected to reach 28°C by Friday.
France must “redefine” its climate strategy, says the Senate
France must “redefine” its climate strategy, according to a report by the French Senate, which stresses that the country needs to reassess its international climate strategy to make it more “accessible” at a time when climate protection is being seriously challenged.
To move climate policy “out of expert circles,” senators recommend outlining a single document — a “national climate diplomacy strategy” — to be made public, defining “France’s geographic, diplomatic, economic, and scientific priorities on climate matters” for the next five years. A parliamentary debate ahead of each COP — the annual UN-led climate negotiations — should also be held, the report adds.
Furthermore, French climate diplomacy must “work with our European partners to build coalitions of the willing around ambitious targets, without waiting for a consensus that will take time to form,” the report concludes. Finally, ahead of today’s France–Morocco World Cup match and the French national holiday in five days, bans are multiplying across several departments due to the heatwave and the risk of wildfires.
Local prefectures across multiple departments have chosen to prohibit fireworks, alcohol sales, and certain festive events, in order to prevent the safety and health risks associated with the extreme heat and the heightened danger of fires.
