The heat has not said its last word in this month of May. After a first episode, between Monday 9 and Wednesday 11, the mercury will rise again in the coming days. A “dome” of heat is notably expected over the country.
It sets in from this Sunday and could give rise to temperatures beyond the monthly heat records. According to Futura-Sciences, the phenomenon is explained by the presence of a vast anticyclone which will trap the heat which rises from the south.
This month of May is likely to become very remarkable as the hot anomaly is expected to persist, at least for the next 10 days. After a relative break on Monday, significant anomalies return (+8/+10°C around 1500 m).
Monthly records could be broken next week. pic.twitter.com/AEkrBa3QPL
— Keraunos (@KeraunosObs) May 12, 2022
First localized more particularly in the southwest, the heat will spread over the northern half of the country from the end of this weekend. The highs could then reach 25 to 32°C, i.e. 8 to 10°C above the average for the season. Only the coasts of the Channel will retain a little freshness.
This “dome” is likely to intensify thereafter, especially between Tuesday and Thursday. The mercury will exceed 30°C in a large part of France and the south-west could even reach 35°C. The nights will remain warm, especially in the big cities where the temperature will be around 19°C.
Not to mention that the heat will add humidity, the rate of which will be high throughout this episode. The stormy atmosphere will be heavy, even suffocating, and the temperature felt could reach 40°C locally, still in the south-west of the country.
The French Observatory of thunderstorms and tornadoes, Keraunos, thus speaks of a “very remarkable” month of May with “hot anomalies […] important”. For the time being, the record heat thresholds recorded for the month of May still date from 1998, 1992 and 1976. But 2022 could well snatch the title from them in the coming days.