Heatwave Strikes Lyon This June 2019
Extreme Temperatures to Hit Lyon and the Surrounding Areas
The heatwave in Lyon this week is reaching incredibly high predicted maximum temperatures – 34°c on Monday, 38°c on Tuesday, 40°c on Wednesday and 41°c on Thursday. Nighttime will bring some relief, with nighttime highs of 18°c on Monday, 22°c on Tuesday, 23°c on Wednesday and 24°c on Thursday.
The heatwave isn’t just set to hit Lyon, in fact, it’s baking lots of Europe, leading France Weather to send out an alert for a ‘significant heatwave’.
The City of Lyon Reacts
The town council has put a plan into action to get the city through the heatwave. There will be 600 hydration stations across the city in key locations such as parks and libraries.
As the elderly are often at higher risk, the town council has put a plan in place to ensure that these most vulnerable people are looked after. Any elderly person, or isolated disabled person can sign up to be on the heatwave register, ‘le registre du plan canicule’, giving them direct access to help from members of the CCAS (Centre communal d’Action sociale).
This can be done by contacting Lyon en Direct at 04 72 10 30 30 on weekdays or the CCAS de Lyon at 04 26 99 62 40 on evenings or weekends.
By contacting Lyon en Direct at 04 72 10 30 30, an elderly person can be welcomed into a well ventilated senior residence centre near their home during the day.
The police will conduct patrols to identify anyone who may be suffering during the heatwave. The CCAS, with the Red Cross, will be giving bottles of water to homeless people.
Outdoor sports canceled at schools in Lyon
Children are also particularly at risk, and schools and nurseries have been given advice to protect the children.
Schools have been asked to start ventilating the buildings from early in the morning so that the temperature isn’t too hot by the time the students arrive.
The children will be encouraged to drink lots of water during the day, and outdoor sport will be cancelled. The council reminds parents to equip their child with a cap, named water bottle, and light clothing, and to put suncream on them before they leave for school.
This is Lyon’s Guide to survive the heatwave
To keep safe during the heatwave, it is recommended to drink water regularly, eat enough, not drink alcohol, use fans to aerate your home, and reduce your levels of physical exercise.
Symptoms associated with heatstroke to watch out for include headache, fever, nausea, muscle weakness, rapid breathing or heartbeat, and inability to sweat despite the heat. In such cases, call the SAMU (ambulance) – phone number 15 or go directly to A&E.
A map of the cool places in Lyon
Though the heatwave may be a particularly powerful one, it’s still more than possible to enjoy Lyon during this week. There are plenty of indoor locations including museums, art galleries and shopping centres. And also swimming pools.
Avoiding the outdoors is probably a good idea when temperatures reach 41°c, but when the temperatures drop a little, there’s plenty of outdoor walking routes that allow you to enjoy some fresh air. Click here for our ideas!
You can also click here to see the map and find a list of all the city’s designated “cool spaces.”