A new heatwave on Sunday hit much of southern and eastern France as authorities warned of an increasing risks of wildfires and some cities granted free access to swimming pools.
Unusually high temperatures, described by national weather service Meteo France as "particularly late for the season", are expected to persist throughout the week.
"We expect 38°C to 39°C in the region of Toulouse and up to 40°C and 41°C in the lower Rhone valley, between Montelimar, Nimes and Carpentras," Meteo France said.
The latest wave of hot weather has been caused by a so-called heat dome, a meteorological event characterised by a persistent high-pressure system that acts as a barrier, trapping warm air on the ground.
The government on Saturday closed off access to areas deemed to be at high risk of forest fires including the Esterel Massif on the Mediterranean coast near Nice.
Eastern France experienced a heatwave early last month, while another spread across the Mediterranean region and southern France later in July.
Experts say global warming is to blame for an increase in the frequency in heatwaves, which rarely occur in France after August 15.
Meteo France said only six heatwaves have been recorded in France since 1947 at this time of year: in 2001, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2017.
Records were reached on August 18 and 19, 2012, when temperatures reached 41.5°C in eastern France but such extreme weather events are now expected more often.
Between 1950 and 1999, temperatures exceeded 40°C in late August on average 0.8 times a year, but this has happened more than 13 times annually since 2000.
"The 2020 decade has already outpaced preceding ones, despite only three years having passed (2020, 2021, and 2022)," said Meteo France.
The heat has prompted some authorities to set up cooling systems for the public.
The south-eastern city of Grenoble has installed six mist sprayers and media outlets have published a list of air-conditioned buildings that are free to enter, including museums and libraries.
The mayor of France's second-largest city, Marseille, said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that swimming pools would be free from Sunday to Wednesday.
"In this period of very high heat, every gesture counts to protect ourselves," Benoit Payan wrote. Free access to swimming pools also featured during last month's heatwave.
The city has extended opening hours of parks and beaches.
Local newspaper La Provence reported that municipal humanitarian emergency service Samu Social was distributing water bottles, hats, sandals and maps of the city's fountains.
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If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
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Retirement funds heavily invested in equities at a risky time
Pension funds in growing economies in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East have a sharply higher percentage of assets parked in stocks, just at a time when trade tensions threaten to derail markets.
Retirement money managers in 14 geographies now allocate 40 per cent of their assets to equities, an 8 percentage-point climb over the past five years, according to a Mercer survey released last week that canvassed government, corporate and mandatory pension funds with almost $5 trillion in assets under management. That compares with about 25 per cent for pension funds in Europe.
The escalating trade spat between the US and China has heightened fears that stocks are ripe for a downturn. With tensions mounting and outcomes driven more by politics than economics, the S&P 500 Index will be on course for a “full-scale bear market” without Federal Reserve interest-rate cuts, Citigroup’s global macro strategy team said earlier this week.
The increased allocation to equities by growth-market pension funds has come at the expense of fixed-income investments, which declined 11 percentage points over the five years, according to the survey.
Hong Kong funds have the highest exposure to equities at 66 per cent, although that’s been relatively stable over the period. Japan’s equity allocation jumped 13 percentage points while South Korea’s increased 8 percentage points.
The money managers are also directing a higher portion of their funds to assets outside of their home countries. On average, foreign stocks now account for 49 per cent of respondents’ equity investments, 4 percentage points higher than five years ago, while foreign fixed-income exposure climbed 7 percentage points to 23 per cent. Funds in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Taiwan are among those seeking greater diversification in stocks and fixed income.
• Bloomberg
Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier
UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs
Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)
1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0
Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am
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