Heatwave to ease on French Riviera from thursday, forecasters say
Forecasters say temperatures on the French Riviera will begin to fall from Thursday, bringing some relief after days of intense heat.
Residents of the Var and Alpes-Maritimes could finally see some relief from the heatwave later this week, with temperatures expected to ease from Thursday.
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According to Météo-France, the orange heat alert could be downgraded to yellow on 2 July as daytime temperatures fall below the 35C threshold across both departments.
The intense heat is expected to persist until Wednesday, with inland areas of the Var still forecast to reach up to 37C.
On Monday, Les Arcs-sur-Argens recorded 39C, the highest temperature in France, while Le Luc reached 38C and Carros in the Alpes-Maritimes hit 36.8C.
Although conditions will become more bearable from Thursday, temperatures will remain above the seasonal average.
Highs of around 29C to 31C are expected along the Côte d'Azur, with warm nights continuing at 24C to 25C.
Forecasters say the region is likely to experience above-average temperatures until at least 12 July, while thunderstorms with the risk of heavy rain and hail are possible in parts of the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes earlier in the week.