France activates emergency heat plan as heatwave intensifies

France has activated its emergency Orsec extreme heat plan for the first time as a renewed heatwave grips parts of the country, with temperatures expected to remain high into next week.

The French government said on July 10 the emergency response mechanism had been activated in nine departments placed under a red heat alert: Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine, Mayenne, Sarthe, Loire-Atlantique, Vendée, Maine-et-Loire, Vienne and Deux-Sèvres, Euronews reports.

"There have been consultations, exchanges and work carried out," government spokesperson Maud Bregeon told French broadcaster TF1.

According to national weather forecaster Météo-France, nine departments in western France were placed on red alert on July 10, while 72 others remained under an orange heat warning. The agency said the highest-level warning would be expanded to 24 departments, including the entire Île-de-France region, from midday on July 11.

The Orsec plan is France's emergency response mechanism for exceptional events and has traditionally been used during natural disasters such as floods.

The latest heatwave is France's third since May and comes as the country experiences an active wildfire season. Authorities said wildfires have burned twice as much land so far this year as during the same period in 2025.

To help protect vulnerable groups, the government said it would open cooling centres for people including the elderly and the homeless.

Bregeon also said that 6,000 of the 30,000 air conditioning units promised for French hospitals have already been delivered and installed. France has more than 2,900 healthcare facilities, according to official figures from last year.

By Sabina Mammadli