The last four departments in orange heatwave vigilance – Var, Alpes-Maritimes and the two departments of Corsica – were downgraded to yellow on Thursday July 2, Météo France indicated in its 6:00 a.m. bulletin.
“Temperatures nevertheless remain high around the Mediterranean”, specifies the meteorological organization, which predicts “undoubtedly a new episode of high heat starting this weekend”.
The south of France was hit by a large fire that started on Wednesday afternoon from Hérault before quickly spreading to the neighboring department of Aude under the effect of drought and wind, fought by hundreds of firefighters. Two other fires broke out late Wednesday in Rognac and Lançon-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône), towns located about twenty kilometers north of Marseille.
The fires, which occurred as a new heatwave episode looms, arrive at a time when the Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, is due to go to Marseille on Thursday to chair a new interministerial crisis unit dedicated to heatwaves and fires.
“More than 90” deaths by drowning
The Minister of Sports and Youth Marina Ferrari announced on RMC that the death toll from drowning stood at “more than 90” since June 19 in connection with the heatwave that hit France, “a worrying figure” she lamented.
The latest report from the authorities showed 74 deaths by drowning since June 18. “We have seen a drop in recent days, so we can clearly see that it is also correlated with a heat peak where people are looking for coolness. The first days, there were a lot of young people” even if “there is no typical profile”, indicated Marina Ferrari.
