France heatwave: 16 departments on orange alert as wildfire burns 110 hectares in Drôme
Météo France maintains orange vigilance for 16 departments in the southeast, with temperatures reaching 38°C. A wildfire in Drôme has consumed 110 hectares and forced the evacuation of 50 residents.
Heatwave alert status
Météo France kept 16 departments in southeastern France under orange heatwave alert (vigilance orange canicule) on Tuesday 4 August, as a prolonged hot spell continued to grip the region. The departments include Ain, Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Drôme, Gard, Isère, Rhône, Savoie, Haute-Savoie, Var, Vaucluse, Haute-Corse, Corse-du-Sud, Doubs, Territoire de Belfort and Jura. Saône-et-Loire and Loire were downgraded to yellow alert overnight. The Jura, Doubs and Territoire de Belfort were set to follow at 22:00 Tuesday, with Ain, Savoie and Haute-Savoie expected to drop to yellow by 06:00 Wednesday. By Wednesday 5 August, only 13 departments will remain under orange vigilance, as the heatwave slowly recedes toward the Mediterranean.
- Wildfire starts on Claps massif near Bellegarde-en-Diois, Drôme.
- Nighttime temperatures reach 27.1°C in Porto-Vecchio, 26.9°C in Toulon.
- Météo France maintains 16 departments under orange heatwave alert.
- Jura, Doubs and Territoire de Belfort downgraded to yellow alert.
- Only 13 departments remain under orange vigilance; heatwave recedes to Mediterranean.
Nighttime heat
The night of Monday to Tuesday was again exceptionally warm. Météo France recorded minimum temperatures “often between 22 and 26°C” across the southeast. At 05:00, the thermometer showed 27.1°C in Porto-Vecchio (Corse-du-Sud), 26.9°C in Toulon (Var), 26.1°C in Nice (Alpes-Maritimes) and 24.8°C in Lons-le-Saunier (Jura). These values reflected the intensity of the heatwave, with little overnight relief.
- Porto-Vecchio
- 27.1 °C
- Toulon
- 26.9 °C
- Nice
- 26.1 °C
- Lons-le-Saunier
- 24.8 °C
Daytime forecast
Daytime highs were expected to ease slightly over the northeastern quarter of the country, though they would remain above 30°C and still exceed 35°C between Lorraine and Alsace. In the southeast, maximums were forecast to reach 32 to 34°C over a small eastern half of France, climbing to 35 to 38°C in Mediterranean areas. The western half of the country would stay below 30°C. Météo France stated:
In the afternoon, temperatures will drop over a large northeastern quarter of the country, but maximums will remain above 30°C, and still above 35°C between Lorraine and Alsace.
The forecaster added that the intense heat should persist for a few more days in the Southeast. On Wednesday, temperatures are expected to rise again in the middle Rhône valley and along the Mediterranean rim.
Wildfire in Drôme
A wildfire that broke out late Monday on the Claps massif near Bellegarde-en-Diois in the Drôme department had burned 110 hectares by Tuesday morning, despite the deployment of seven Canadair water bombers and two Dash aircraft until nightfall. The prefecture said the fire could cross the ridge line, with several hundred more hectares potentially threatened. Around 50 people were evacuated preventively from the hamlet of Montlahuc. Firefighters were defending sensitive points on the left flank, but the right flank remained inaccessible.
The fire could cross the ridge line. Several defense systems for sensitive points are engaged on the left flank, while the right flank remains inaccessible.
Storm risks and outlook
A separate wildfire was still burning in the Var department, though no further details were immediately available. Thunderstorm alerts were largely lifted, but five departments, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Corse-du-Sud, Haute-Corse and Pyrénées-Orientales, remained under yellow vigilance for storms. Météo France also warned of locally heavy thunderstorms over the Alps, particularly in Isère, the Savoies and Hautes-Alpes, though the risk of an orange alert was low. The heatwave is expected to continue its slow retreat, with very hot conditions confined to Mediterranean regions in the coming days.
