On August 12, 2003, the temperature reached 44.1°C during the afternoon in Conqueiraque, a beautiful little Gard village of about a hundred inhabitants. Something unheard of in France since weather records began in 1870. Two-thirds of weather stations saw readings above 35°C, with temperatures above 40°C in the West and Brittany. As elsewhere in Europe, the country is severely affected by drought.
Human casualties are heavy, very heavy. With 19,000 dead, France has been hit by one of the worst heatwaves ever known. A health drama that mainly affects the elderly and acts as an electric shock to public authorities. “At the time, the summer of 2003 was considered a ‘ground reference’ and an ‘exceptional climate emergency.’ recalls a forecaster from Météo France, and no one really imagined that such an episode would happen again in the near future. »
Source: Le Figaro
