Meteó France say an Orange Weather Alert for heatwave in the Vaucluse and Bouches-du- Rhône could extend into the Var and Alpes-Maritimes over the weekend. A warm air mass is sweeping over the entire country and could spread as far north as Paris, where temperatures exceeding 30d are expected at Olympic events including the marathon and closing ceremony on Sunday evening.
Firefighters are battling a blaze at an electric transformer station in the Var. 12 engines are on the scene at Vinon-sur-Verdon north of Aix-en-Provence. The situation is complicated by 44 tons of oil, kept as a reserve at the station, which provides high voltage electricity to the area. The fire which broke out in the early morning is being brought under control.
French wheat farmers say this year’s harvest could be one of the worst in years. France is one of the largest producers in Europe of soft wheat, typically used to make bread and cakes. Excessive rain and bad weather since last autumn have affected the crop which sources say could be the worst since 1983. The Ministry of Agriculture is due to publish provisional estimates later today for the 2024 harvest.
A man from Nice has been arrested by Menton customs officers for carrying 194 cartons of cigarettes into France. The maximum allowance is four cartons. The cigarettes, being carried in four large suitcases, was discovered during a control at the La Turbie payage. The man admitted the offence and will be sentenced later.
A new version of the Carte Vitale is being made available in the Alpes-Maritimes. It will now be available as a smartphone ap
