Emergency plan activated in France due to heatwave

The French government has activated the "Orsec extreme heat" emergency plan for the first time due to the intense heatwave observed in the western regions of the country. This was reported by Euronews.

This plan has been implemented in 9 departments where a "red" level heat alert has been declared. Meteorologists announced that starting July 12, the warning will be extended to 24 more departments, including the Île-de-France region where Paris is located.

This emergency mechanism, usually applied during floods and other major natural disasters, was activated this time due to record-breaking hot weather.

According to official data, more than 8,000 fires have occurred in France since the beginning of the year, burning over 25,000 hectares of land. For this reason, the government is opening cooling centers for the elderly and other vulnerable citizens, and thousands of air conditioners are being installed in hospitals.

According to weather forecasts, the heatwave in the country will continue until July 14.