Overview
- Météo‑France said Monday was the hottest day ever recorded for a month of May in France, and several hundred weather stations have logged new May temperature records with roughly 378 stations reporting their warmest May day.
- The government reported seven deaths linked directly or indirectly to the heat, including at least five drownings, a figure given by spokesperson Maud Bregeon that officials say will be refined when the episode ends.
- Orange canicule alerts have been issued for western departments and the number of high‑warning departments rose this week as local authorities reactivated protection plans for elderly and vulnerable residents.
- Air quality agencies warned of ozone episodes in Île‑de‑France and the Rhône valley with hourly concentrations forecast to top 180 µg/m3, prompting measures such as traffic speed limits and restrictions on open burning in affected areas.
- Météo‑France forecasts the heat dome will persist through the week with a possible mass‑air change and storms toward the weekend, and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu will chair an interministerial meeting on Thursday, May 28 to review state preparedness.