French and Riviera News Wednesday 13th July 2022

News

Heatwave - Seven departments in the south and south-west of France have been placed on a heat wave orange alert. The Gironde, Lot-et-Garonne, Tarn-et-Garonne, Tarn, Haute-Garonne, Drôme and Ardèche are all concerned. The alert is in place from today 2pm. Recent hot weather has already prompted authorities to take action, with traffic restrictions in the paris region and the banning of certain fireworks in the Gironde. Twenty-four departments remain on a yellow alert, mainly in the west and in the Rhône valley. Among them Morbihan, where the city of Vannes has decided to cancel, due to the heat expected today, the parade of "Historical festivals" which was to attract 20,000 people. According to Météo-France the heatwave is expected to peak probably “between Saturday and next Tuesday” (July 19th).

Meanwhile at least 670 hectares of vegetation have been destroyed in the Gironde after two fires broke out south of Bordeaux on Tuesday. About 120 firefighters were mobilized. As of 9:30pm the fire was not under control with firefighters remaining on site.

Body of man reported missing is found - The young man who was reported missing at lake Sainte-Croix on Sunday has been found dead.  The 30-year-old from Portugal had allegedly jumped from his boat and had failed to resurface. His body was found on Tuesday at a depth of about twenty metres near the place where he had been sailing.

Fire - A fire has destroyed the upper floors of a building on boulevard Gambetta in Nice. Thirty people were evacuated after the blaze broke out on Tuesday evening. 29 firefighters were mobilised and the fire was under control shortly after midnight. No injuries were reported. An investigation is underway to determine the cause.

Boat catches fire - Meanwhile a huge plume of smoke was visible from the French Riviera coastline on Tuesday afternoon after a boat caught fire off the coast between Bordighera and Ospedaletti. According to local reports, the captain, a Frenchman in his fifties, was the only passenger on board and had had time to issue an SOS before jumping into the water to escape to the flames. He was then rescued by the Italian Coast Guard. The boat, sank at 5:35 p.m. The reasons for the fire on board the yacht are not yet known. The Italian authorities will investigate and must also assess the possible environmental consequences, in the event of potential pollution.

Ban on sale, possession, and use of fireworks - The prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes has banned the sale, possession and use of fireworks ahead of tomorrow July 14th, which is a national holiday in France. As every year, the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes has taken a series of measures to "ensure public safety and tranquillity during the July 14 festivities".

Seven people injured after bus crashes into shop window - Seven people have been injured including two seriously, after a bus crashed into a shop window in Paris on Tuesday. The minibus hit a clothing store on rue de Vaugirard after the driver reportedly lost control. An investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances.

Motorway companies make a gesture at the pay toll this summer - Motorway companies in France have made a gesture at the pay toll this summer. The main motorway networks will grant this summer a 10% reduction on toll expenses paid in holiday vouchers. The move comes after France’s Minister of Transport Clément Beaune asked for a "gesture" from the motorway companies. The discount is reserved for toll expenses paid by in holiday vouchers and deposited on electronic toll badges which concerns 4.5 million French people. It will be effective from tomorrow Thursday July 14th until September 15th.

Italian mayor introduces ban - Massimo Coppola, mayor of the city of Sorrento, in southern Italy, has announced that tourists in swimsuits or shirtless will no longer be able to wander the streets this summer. In the Bay of Naples, tourists are welcome but once they leave the beach, they will have to put on a t-shirt and get dressed before discovering the region. The seaside resort, which attracts many tourists every year, no longer wishes to see tourists walking through the streets shirtless or in swimsuits. Tourists who do not respect the rule could risk a fine from 25 to 500 euros.

Covid figures from the IMSEE - Latest figures from the Monegasque Institute for Statistics and Studies Economics (IMSEE) have shown that since the start of the covid epidemic, the Principality has recorded 12,216 confirmed cases of covid, including 57 deaths and more than two-thirds of residents who have died since the start of the crisis were aged 80 and over. Between March 2020 and May 31, 2022 (the date on which the study data was stopped), 12,216 cases of covid were detected among residents of Monaco, including 755 "recontaminations". "Each year, the average age of those infected is decreasing, from 46.2 years in 2020 t