An image reveals the hottest areas of Paris during June's heatwave

A satellite image of Paris taken from the International Space Station during the heatwave this past June shows that some neighborhoods broke records, with ground temperatures reaching over 45 degrees!

In June 2022, France faced its first heatwave of the year. Record temperatures were observed across the country, including in Paris where the thermometer approached 40 degrees C. The heatwave broke records with its early arrival and proved to be a preview of what was in store for Parisians later in the summer of 2022.

While the capital again faced heatwave conditions this week, the town hall of one of the city neighborhoods -- the 15th arrondissement -- used its Twitter account to post the satellite image taken by the International Space Station (ISS), which reveals the hottest areas of the capital.

Transmitted by the European Space Agency, the satellite image shows that the south of Paris (especially near the Parc des expositions de Versailles and the 16th arrondissement), as well as the area of the Parisian cemetery of Pantin located in the northeast, are the hottest areas of the capital. If we refer to the scale of measurement indicated at the bottom right of the photo, we can see that in these areas, the temperature of the ground was as high as 48 degrees C!

Conversely, and not surprisingly, areas with more greenery such as the Bois de Boulogne and Vincennes parks, and the banks of the Seine, manage to maintain a temperature between 35 and 40 degrees, relatively equivalent to (or even lower than) the atmospheric temperature.

The municipal authorities that posted the image comments that it should encourage them to plant much more greenery in a direct reference to the "urban heat islands," which the French capital finds itself dealing with, due to its population density.

Urban heat islands are microclimates caused by intense human activity, the absence of vegetation and the dominance of concrete surfaces. To reduce heat in large cities, several municipalities have implemented short- or long-term plans and measures: insulating building materials, greening public buildings, promoting soft and collective transport methods to reduce pollution, greening of schoolyards, etc.