France sizzles in late summer 'heat dome'
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Transcript
00:00 In the Rhône Valley on Monday, it was more than 44 degrees centigrade in the sun,
00:05 and the peak of the heatwave is yet to pass.
00:08 France is frying with extreme heat throughout most of the country,
00:12 continuing on Tuesday and Wednesday.
00:15 This retiree lives in a flat without air conditioning.
00:19 Every movement is a struggle.
00:27 It's 36 degrees. We take showers, drink a lot.
00:33 The windows on both sides are open, but we can't get any more of a breeze.
00:37 It's the hottest France has been so far this summer,
00:43 a late-season heatwave which is particularly intense and long-lasting.
00:48 Half of the departments on the mainland are on orange alert,
00:52 and several are on red -- Drôme, Ardèche, Rhône and Haute-Loire --
00:57 where records could tumble,
00:59 and the health ministry is warning people to stay inside.
01:02 Hydrate often, don't go outside, don't exercise.
01:09 This doesn't just apply to old people, but to everyone in these departments.
01:13 It's the sixth time France's Met Office has triggered a red alert for heatwaves
01:19 since the service began in 2001.
01:21 one, all of them coming in the last four years.
01:24 [BLANK_AUDIO]