By Marco Hugo Barsotti MHB 
You are listening to a new special from am1575news, Francia24 and Radio Centrale Milano, in podcasting and on the medium wave.
Alert lifted across the whole territory
Meteo‑France announced on the morning of Tuesday, August 18 the end of the orange “heatwave” alert for all French departments. After three weeks of record temperatures, the sky has finally become cooler and the country is breathing a first relief from that scorching summer.
Forecast for the coming days
According to forecaster Nemo Pawlowski, the temperature drop will continue throughout the week. A disturbed front will arrive in the southeast between Thursday and Friday, bringing heavier rain and thunderstorms. In the second half of the week and at the beginning of the following one, maximums will return to normal seasonal values and, in some coastal areas, will even be slightly below average thanks to a cooler ocean current and a slight increase in wind. A first weak perturbation system affected northern France on Monday and Tuesday, while on Wednesday a new rain band will hit mainly Brittany and the Upper France, then moving southward in the afternoon.
Risk of new heat waves
The meteorologist emphasized that, with the seven‑to‑ten‑day forecast model, no net rise in temperatures is expected at least until mid‑next week. However, as is common with climate trends, the monthly projections indicate temperatures on average higher than normal, a clear signal of the ongoing climate change.
Trends toward the end of summer
Regarding September, forecasts remain uncertain: it is not possible to rule out nor confirm the onset of a new heatwave. What is more likely, according to climatologists, is an increase in precipitation in the Mediterranean belt and the Cevennes area, favored by warmer sea waters that intensify local thunderstorms. In essence, if the atmospheric conditions line up, late‑summer rains could be more abundant than usual.
In summary, France enjoys a lull from extreme heat, but remains vigilant: the coming days will bring milder temperatures and scattered thunderstorms, while the risk of a new heat wave cannot be entirely excluded, especially on the eve of September.
Rachel’s Editorial – The cool that heats the world
I’m reading you now my editorial of today.
What a show: after three weeks of heatwave worthy of a microwave oven, Météo‑France lifts the curtain on a “net change” of temperatures. A light wind, a few clouds and, voilà, the temperature drops “below seasonal norms”. And us? Should we applaud the relief or prepare for a new heat wave? The answer is already written in the headlines: “On va avoir un changement net”. As if a sudden jump toward cool were the final proof of that feared global warming.
But it doesn’t end there. Climate journalism, now full‑time, has decided that every little temperature dip is a “sign that the planet is really heating up”. It’s a bit like saying that finding a winter coat under the pillow means summer will be hotter next year. A contradiction that makes ecological thinking more flexible than a gym elastic.
And then there are the forecasts, those wonderful windows into the future: “no net temperature growth until mid‑next week”. Today the thermometer goes down, tomorrow it could break another record. Meteorologists sell us the serenity of a lull, but then remind us that “monthly trends show temperatures above the norm”. How can a graph tell two different stories without even turning the page?
In the end, the drama reduces to a simple wordplay: today’s cold is proof that the climate is really warming. If the thermometer drops, the climate crisis draws near; if it rises, it’s just a spring whim. And we, poor listeners, keep asking: “When, really, will it stop keeping us up at night?”.
Koan of the day
Monaco: Master, why do meteorologists declare that a cooler day is the ultimate proof of global warming?
Master: Because when nature forgets to wear its coat, people go crazy looking for the thermostat of truth.
Monaco: And if the sky continues to heat up, what does this apparent contradiction teach us?
Master: That true heat is never what you feel on your face, but what makes you forget to check the thermometer.
This is all for now. From the Paris editorial office I am Rachel Costa: this is am1575news, Francia24 and Radio Centrale Milano.