Western France bracing for record temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius

Record ID: 1681493

  • Title: Western France bracing for record temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius
  • Date: 18th July 2022
  • Summary: LA BAULE-ESCOUBLAC, FRANCE (JULY 18, 2022) (REUTERS) DRONE SHOT OF LE POULIGUEN BEACH LE POULIGUEN, FRANCE (JULY 18, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ON BEACH ICE CREAM SHOP ON PORT (SOUNDBITE) (French) ICE CREAM SHOP OWNER, NORMAN SICAULT, SAYING: “In this region, we’re not used to having this much heat for so long. When we have a heatwave, it normally lasts two days
  • Embargoed: 1st August 2022 11:55
  • Keywords: France beach heatwave salt farms weather western France
  • Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS, FRANCE
  • City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Environment,Europe,Weather
  • Reuters ID: LVA001255918072022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Parts of western France were bracing for temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday (July 18) as a freak wave of hot air blasted its way towards northwestern Europe.
    Crowds, equipped with bathing suits, umbrellas and towels, basked in the sun in the beaches of La Baule-Escoublac.
    In the tourist port of Le Pouliguen, ice cream maker Norman Sicault said demand was up - but not dramatically. The heat was dissuading tourists from coming out in the afternoon, opting instead for evening outings.
    Sunshine should normally be a source of joy for the salt farmers who produce the world famous Guerande sea salt in the flats behind the Le Croisic peninsula.
    But it is possible to have too much of a good thing, salt farmer Francois Durand said. The intense prolonged heat made salt crystals stick to the bottom of the flats, forcing him to work twice as hard as normal. And because he constantly has to refill the salt pans with seawater, the fragile salt pans risk being damaged, he said.
    The strong sunshine was also changing his working day: he currently has to start early in the morning and resume late in the evening as it’s simply too hot to work during the day.
    Much of Europe is baking in a heatwave that scientists say is consistent with climate change and has pushed temperatures into the mid-40s Celsius (over 110 Fahrenheit) in some regions, with wildfires raging across tinder-dry countryside in Portugal, Spain and France.
    (Production: Yann Tessier)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register