News
Heat wave – New record high temperatures have been broken in France with highs of 42.4 degrees in Toulouse, 43.2 degrees in Carcassone and Menton recorded a new national record for minimum temperatures in mainland France overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday with 30.4 degrees.
Another 62 departments are on an orange weather alert. 37 for the heat wave and 25 for storms. France will continue to suffer today Thursday 24th August, with nineteen other departments being kept on a red heatwave alert they include Ardèche, the Drôme, the Lot-et-Garonne, Tarn and the Vaucluse. Météo France has confirmed that across France this is the first time that such intense heat has been observed so late in the summer.
On Wednesday France’s Prime Miniter Elisabeth Borne declared that there was no overcrowding in French hospitals despite the current situation.
Free helpline number for the heatwave tells caller to “go to the beach” -Meanwhile, some rather unusual advice has been given by the heatwave toll-free number, activated by the French government on August 18th, after local media Nice Matin decided to test the service and called asking for “advice on how to survive the heat wave” they were told to go to the beach. Rather surprised by the advice and explaining that “the beaches were at the moment very busy and not maybe the best place to cool down” the paper reports being berated by the person on the end of the line saying “You don’t realise what a luxury it is to have a beach? There is nothing better”. Perhaps the person had had a bad day or was simply dreaming of the beach.
The free helpline number 0800 06 66 66 is open between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m and was activated following a decision during an interministerial crisis unit meeting, it at the time caused criticisms because of its supposed uselessness.
Lifeguards - Lifeguards have reminded parents to not leave young children unsupervised on the beach, after a two-and-a-half-year-old child was found struggling in the sea, alone and without armbands on a beach in Juan-les-Pins. The incident occurred at around 6pm on Tuesday when a woman approached the child and helped by the lifeguards took him out of the water. Taken to the Fontonne hospital center, his life did not seem to be in danger.
Lifeguards also continue to help people who are dehydrated or suffering from heatstroke an advise beachgoers to eat before going to the beach, hydrating and protecting yourself from the sun and to remember that the hottest time of day is between 11am and 4pm.
Beach closed to bathers - A beach is the Var is awaiting results this Thursday morning, after swimming was banned on Wednesday due to pollution. As a precautionary measure, the Bonnegrâce beach in Six-Fours was closed to swimming until further notice. The pollution was detected coming from the river Reppe which crosses the town and flows into the Mediterranean. The results should be known later today.
Winter season employment in Courchevel - For the first time in Monaco and after a trial run in Saint-Tropez last year 16 hotel and restaurant establishments from the Savoie will be at the Fairmont Monte-Carlo on August 31st for a job fair organized in partnership with the Monegasque establishment. 400 jobs will be on offer in Courchevel and the surrounding area for the winter season from Spa manager to receptionist, floor staff to kitchen staff, and maintenance workers.
Also, as a reminder on September 15th, the Prince's government is organizing its first "Monaco pour l'Emploi", a forum intended to "bring together the supply and demand for employment in the Principality". The event will take place at the Grimaldi Forum, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and those wishing to do so will be able to meet Monegasque employers sorted by sector of activity. Access is free.
Business
After visiting Ukraine, the UKs Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps has said that the UK support will help power Ukraine's nuclear plants. The UK government has announced it will provide a £192m loan guarantee to enable a UK-based company to supply Ukraine with uranium enrichment services. Nuclear power generates more than half of Ukraine's electricity. But its largest plant, at Zaporizhzhia, is currently held by Russia.
After months of negotiating UPS has avoided its first US strike in more than 25 years as the union representing its workers said a new five-year contract has been approved. The two sides were negotiating over demands including higher pay and better working conditions. In July, UPS said it had agreed a deal with the Teamsters Union to raise the average annual salary of full-time drivers to about $170,000 (£133,440). This included healthcare and other benefits and is up from about $145,000. The deal also gives workers one more day of paid holiday, ends forced overtime and adds air conditioning to new models of the company's trucks from next year.
Following the announcement made earlier this month the administrators of Wilko have confirmed that jobs are set to go and stores will close after it failed to find a buyer for the whole business. However, PwC said parts of the group could still be bought. 12,500 jobs and its 400 stores at risk. PwC was tasked with trying to look for a buyer for all or part of the business.
Sport
Athletics - Britain's Josh Kerr has taken the 1500m gold at the World Championships in Budapest. Kerr, Olympic bronze medallist in Tokyo, timed his surge for gold to perfection inside the final 200m. The 25-year-old clocked a season's best three minutes 29.38 seconds to make his first podium at a World Championships.
Rugby Union - Former player Matt Dawson says that Captain Owen Farrell missing the first two games of the World Cup is "not the end of the world" for England. Farrell, 31, had a four-game ban for a red card against Wales on 12 August reinstated on Tuesday after a successful appeal by World Rugby. His suspension had previously been overturned by an independent judicial committee.
Football - The draw for the Champions League group stage will be held here in the Principality, a first since 2019. French football will only have two standard bearers this season, PSG and Lens, after the elimination in the Marseille play-offs.
In addition to the usual parade of football stars on the red carpet of the Grimaldi Forum this August 31st draw, should not lack excitement behind the scenes, taking place just a few hours before the closing of the official transfer window in the main European leagues.
Weather
Sunny with light winds. Highs of 32 degrees in Monaco, Nice and Menton. An orange heatwave alert is still in place in the Var and the Alpes Maritimes.
31 degrees in Saint-Tropez and 34 degrees in Toulon. This evening going down to 24 degrees along the coast with clear skies.
The outlook for Friday. Similar to today with highs of 34-36 degrees. Temperatures are espected to gradually drop heading into the weekend with storms forecast on Sunday.
Sunrise 06.44am
Sunset 08.20pm
Beach Weather
Nice – Sea temperature 27 degrees. Air temperature 31 degrees. UV level 8.
Saint-Tropez – Sea temperature 26 degrees. Air temperature 34 degrees. UV level 8.
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