Overview

• Météo-France declared the canicule over on Tuesday morning and lifted the last orange heat alerts, downgrading remaining Mediterranean departments to yellow.
• Hérault, Gard and Lozère were placed under orange vigilance for thunderstorms, heavy rain and flooding, with 60–80 mm expected locally and up to 120 mm on higher ground, and possible extension to other southeastern areas and Corsica.
• Forecasters expect storm activity to focus on the south and southeast on Tuesday, spread across much of the country on Wednesday, then ease from the east on Thursday.
• A sharp cooldown is forecast, with drops of roughly 10 to 14 °C since the weekend returning many regions to near or below seasonal norms, including about 26 °C in Perpignan, 25 °C in Bordeaux and 19 °C in Lyon.
• The episode was France’s 51st recorded post‑war heatwave, with roughly 266 stations reaching at least 40 °C and nearly 90 local records reported.