Four departments on the French Mediterranean coast (Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard, Hérault, and Pyrénées-Orientales) will be placed on orange alert for heat from 1:00 p.m. (Bulgarian time), Météo-France said in its morning bulletin, which forecasts temperatures between 35 and 38 °C, and in some places in the interior of the country even 39 °C and above.

The heatwave could intensify and spread across the country, Météo-France said. Maximum temperatures on Saturday, June 28, will be around 37-39°C, AFP reported.

This is an “early heat wave,” whose duration and gradual spread toward the center of the country require “particular vigilance,” Météo-France emphasized, after a severe storm following an intense heatwave claimed the lives of two people and caused significant damage during the night of June 25 to 26.

Since June 19, France has been hit by its 50th national heatwave since 1947, 33 of which have occurred since 2000, as a result of global warming, which increases the intensity and frequency of heatwaves.

For several days, town halls, prefectures, and fire departments have been issuing warnings and recommendations.

In Marseille, France's second-largest city, the municipality has announced that municipal swimming pools will be free until the end of the heatwave. Water bottles will also be distributed in the Gard department, where temperatures are expected to reach 40°C on June 28.

In the Bouches-du-Rhône department, the most at risk of forest fires in mainland France, fire services have been battling numerous fires for several days, which are currently contained. The prefecture has announced the closure of 14 of 26 forest areas with a “strict ban” on access.

This intense heatwave is also affecting southern Europe, where temperatures will exceed 40°C.

In Greece, a severe forest fire devastated several seaside resorts south of Athens, leading to dozens of evacuations before it was brought under control on Friday morning.

Another forest fire is raging on the island of Chios, in the northeastern Aegean Sea. So far, it has destroyed over 4,000 hectares, but according to Greek firefighters, it was “under control” today.

In the Balkans, where temperatures of 40°C were recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina, two areas in Croatia—around the capital Zagreb and in the eastern part of the country—are on high alert due to the heat. | BGNES