“Météo-France extended its amber alert to 84 departments on Monday and the same number on Tuesday. Maximum temperatures will be stable around the Mediterranean, where they will be between 37°C and 40°C, with peaks above 40°C. In the rest of the country, they will often be between 34°C and 38°C, very occasionally 39-40°C. Only the departments close to the Channel and the Belgian and German borders will retain temperatures below 34°C."

“A heatwave refers to an episode of high temperatures during the day and night over a prolonged period (at least 3 days) which is likely to constitute a health risk, particularly for vulnerable or overexposed people (definition at the departmental level).”

“No fixed temperature threshold is determined to move from one alert to another; the decision to increase to a red alert is up to Météo-France in agreement with the relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Health.”