Well, last night the world turned and it all changed… of course I’m talking about the weather… 
on the other hand… there’s Politics… and there’s been a big change on that front too… National Front (under whatever guise) is alarmingly prominent…
Neighbours were looking sad last night… and talking in hushed voices…
and I’m wondering how many of those across France who abstained… might now be regretting their decision.
You had rain!! How wonderful. We are still waiting for some, and the village fountain is down to a trickle so the usual Jean de Florette type battles have broken out again.
Rain is now turned to clouds of steaming huff-and-puff… rising out of the valleys… but hoping the excessive heat is beaten into submission.
What a difference a day makes! After all the extreme heat, woke up this morning and flung all the windows open and was basking in the coolness 
thunderstorm forecast for the end of the week, so that should also bring some relief. Now praying that there wont be record sky high temps in Aug 
what’s happening in August… ???
Just thinking, if we’ve had these particularly high temps in June, and it’s normally hotter in Aug, then what would that look like 
hopefully this June was a ‘blip’ and not a trend for the year!
Don’t panic (mon capitaine )
These June heatwave figures are just August “arriving early”… and according to meteo… things should go back to more or less normal asap… I’ll drink to that…
let’s hope so - everything starting to look a little desert like outside…but the veggies seem to be absolutely thriving! 
Heaven forbid another election so soon… too big a gamble in my view… National Front is on a roll… aargh.
Saturday just past was frightening – 40°C plus in my garden. Head under a garden tap weather. And there was a power cut, thankfully restored 30 minutes later.
Then, wonderfully at midnight, a storm – the full works.
Sat in the garden at midnight trying to film it, smartphone battery went flat, it started to rain, but managed a short clip.
Sitting in the rain after a day’s worth of worrying heat, was wonderful!
Over the last 15 years we’ve found in Lot et Garonne that August definitely is NOT hotter and very often these days temperatures peak in June
Breathing sigh of relief, meanwhile crossing fingers
Unfortunately “the morning after” is too late to repent, in politics as in other things in life.
I suspect that it is a symptom of polarisation in politics generally - being seen in many places, not just France.
I remember in particular the awful heat in August 2003. Everything in the garden was drying up horribly, while we hunkered down inside with the aircon full on. The autumn leaves fell in August that year. Your comment spurred me to look up past heatwaves… it’s not looking good !
According to many experts, 2003 was the most magnificent year ever, for some French wines.
I’ll drink to that… hic
1947 an excellent year for champagne and people!
I would say, from @Stella link above, that dissolution and another vote is a distinct possibility. There’s certainly good precedent.
In other news, much needed rainfall here overnight (of the good kind too; garden lapped it up and roof stayed on) We woke to a cooler breeze and I was inspired to go out on my bike (after a bit of pfaffing about)
Ha, this was on TV not so long ago so I understand this reference 
Another thunderstorm – second in 2/3 days! For the next one, I’ll fix my smartphone proper in the bedroom window in landscape mode on a tripod.
This 30 seconds or so of video is in portrait mode, and while I was fiddling propping the smartphone on the bedroom window sill, just caught a bit of forked lightning, then the period waiting for the crack of thunder.
Storm lasted about 45 minutes and the rumbling and cracking just went on and on, not stopping for even a moment.
When I first came to France, during the 1990s, I’d sit at the upstairs window watching thunder and lightning coming from the Atlantic many miles away. No sound, no rain, but absolutely fascinating watching the lightning – never seen forked lightning going vertically, sideways, every which way, and so high, way up into a huge sky.
Lucky you! Fingers crossed we’ll get the one(s) forecast for tomorrow, but all too often they split and go round us. I think it’s something to do with the confluence of the Lot and the Garonne.