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Day: 3 August 2022

Scorching temps set to remain for weeks

by: Cassandra Tanti
03/08/2022

If you were thinking this heatwave couldn’t go on for much longer, think again. This is what forecasters are predicting for the rest of August and September.

If you are anywhere in Europe this week, you’ll be sweltering through what feels like a continual heatwave.

Around 26 areas in France have been put on ‘orange alert’ as temperatures soar to potentially record-breaking levels.

Holiday hotspots in mainland Spain, Majorca and Ibiza are facing temperatures of between 36-38°C, while Rome and Madrid are suffering through highs of 35°C.

Locally, the thermometer reached up to 33-34°C in Monaco and surrounding cities on Wednesday. The average maximum in Monaco in August is generally around 27°C.

Source: Meteo France

But how long can this heatwave last?

Well, there doesn’t appear to be any significant downturn soon. Temperatures in the 30s are expected to continue from Thursday 4th to Sunday 7th August.

For the week from Monday 8th to Sunday 14th August, Meteo France says the weather will be mostly hot, dry and sunny in most areas. However, some budding clouds carrying locally stormy showers are possible in the mountains, driving temperatures down a few degrees. But this will be short lived, because the mercury is set to return to above normal and new episodes of hot weather are forecast in the southern half of France during the week.

Meteo France says it is a trend that will continue into the last two weeks of August, with temperatures expected to remain above normal in the 30s for the season.

Only a slight drop in temperature is expected at the start of September, with highs of 28-29°C still forecast, before hitting the mid-20s around the 12th of September.

Photo source: Monaco Life

 

 

 

No decisive blow landed in hotly-contested Champions League qualifier

by: Luke Entwistle
03/08/2022

AS Monaco drew 1-1 against PSV Eindhoven at the Stade Louis II on Tuesday as the Principality club kept their Champions League hopes alive with a late Axel Disasi equaliser.

Monaco will therefore head to the Netherlands next week with everything to play for. On the balance of play, Philippe Clement will be disappointed to not be going into the second-leg with a lead, as he alluded to in his post-match press conference: “If a team were to win tonight, it was us,” said the Belgian coach.

It could have been worse, however. PSV had initially taken the lead in the first-half thanks to a thunderous Joey Veerman strike from the edge of the box, after Monaco’s new-look midfield pivot of Youssouf Fofana and Eliot Matazo were dragged out of position.

Prior to that, Monaco were left bemoaning a refereeing decision, or lack of one, which could have significantly altered the course of the match. A fierce Fofana strike hit Ibrahim Sangaré’s arm, warranting a VAR check, but nothing further. “For me, as the Monaco manager, it’s a penalty,’ said Clement. ‘The arm isn’t by the side of the body. We’ll see how UEFA standardise that,” he continued.

In the second-half, Monaco continued to look the more threatening of the two sides, but lacked the cutting edge to create clear-cut chances. That changed after a highly influential double substitution going into the final 15 minutes of the match. Sofiane Diop and new signing Breel Embolo both made their presence felt off the bench and turned the tide of the fixture.

Nimble, progressive and direct running from the pair drew free-kicks across the pitch, one of which was crucially converted. Ismail Jakobs, in the starting line-up in place of Caio Henrique, whipped the ball in for Axel Disasi to scramble home. The centre-back doesn’t score many, but on Monday, Clement had revealed how he expects him to score more in matches. “In training he scores goals,” said Clement pre-match.

Having scored a crucial equaliser, Monaco pushed for the winner, and they almost got it. Disasi was once again the danger man in the box. His shot was blocked and on the follow up, Fofana struck the post. A late barrage ensued;  Monaco’s fitness advantage was clear for all to see.

However, neither side could find the winner and both sides will head to Eindhoven next week with everything to play for, but also everything to lose.

To prevail, Monaco will need to once again show the “exemplary mentality” that they displayed in the first-leg in order to get the win.

Should they get the victory at the Philips Stadium, just as they did in the Europa League group stages last season (2-1), they will face either Rangers or Union Saint-Gilloise in the final qualification round.

 

 

Photo source: AS Monaco football club

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday fun: mini-golf reopens after eco-makeover

by: Cassandra Tanti
03/08/2022

The mini-golf course in the Princess Antoinette Park has received an environmentally-friendly, heat-resistant makeover and is now open to the public once again.

Over the course of eight weeks, the entire ground surface around the clay playgrounds has been replaced by an ecological, recyclable, permeable and natural coating called Urbalith – a first in Monaco.

According to the Mairie, it consists of a cold mixture of aggregates and an organo-mineral binder, which effectively fights against urban heat islands. Another advantage is that the material is safe for humans and the environment because it does not contain any Volatile Organic Components (VOC).

During the month of August, the mini-golf course is open every day from 2pm to 7pm by reservation at +377 99 99 19 29 or on the La Boîte de Jeux website: https://www.laboitedejeux.net/minigolf.

Note, the mini-golf will be closed again for the week 7th  to 15th August, while the Princess Antoinette Park will be open for the entire month of August.

 

Photo source: Mairie de Monaco

 

 

 

Enjoy the “Monaco Sunday Experience”

by: Cassandra Tanti
03/08/2022

Seven-day trading will continue for the entire month of August, with Monaco’s best retailers opening their doors on Sundays to offer the full shopping experience.

Brand retailers are among the very few businesses in Monaco that don’t go on holidays for the whole four weeks of August.

All of the stores at One Monte-Carlo and the Métropole Shopping Centre, as well as Le Rocher in the old town, will be open seven days a week as part of the “Monaco Sunday Experience”, a government-led initiative which allows for seven-day trading at certain times of the year.

Certain stores located on Boulevard des Moulins, Condamine and Larvotto districts are also open on Sundays.

Shoppers can find a full list of brands that welcome customers every Sunday in the summer on the monacosundayexperience.com website.

 

 

Photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM

 

 

 

 

Richard Mille signs on as official sponsor of MYS

by: Stephanie Horsman
03/08/2022

High-end Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille has come onboard as a major partner of the Monaco Yacht Show in a new multi-year deal.

Luxury attracts luxury, and in the case of the new partnership between the Monaco Yacht Show (MYS) and Richard Mille, “ultra-luxury” is the outcome.

Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille, founded in 2001, has focused on top shelf clientele since its inception, and the brand’s philosophy is in total accord with the Monaco Yacht Show’s goals of catering to a new generation of customers whose lifestyles are at the apex of this “ultra-luxury” approach.

“We are delighted to welcome Richard Mille as an official sponsor of the Monaco Yacht Show, starting 2022,” said Gaëlle Tallarida, Managing Director of Monaco Yacht Show. “This long-term contract reflects our shared commitment towards building a solid, trusting and long-lasting relationship between our two brands. We intend to accompany our customers on a journey filled with ultra-luxurious experiences, by immersing them in the world of yachting and by helping them discover Richard Mille’s characteristic avant-garde approach to luxury watchmaking.”

Peter Harrison, CEO of Richard Mille, added his enthusiasm over the collaboration, saying, “There is no doubt that the worlds of yachting and fine watches are inseparably linked. We share a desire for excellence in craftsmanship, performance, design, and ergonomics. We are only at the beginning of a long and meaningful partnership with the Monaco Yacht Show and look forward to working collaboratively over the coming years to define the next chapter in the history of this iconic show.”

The Monaco Yacht Show returns to the Principality from 28th September to 1st October.

 

 

Photo source: McClic for the Monaco Yacht Show

 

 

Menton enters “crisis” water restrictions as drought worsens

by: Stephanie Horsman
03/08/2022

Tough water restrictions have been applied to residents in the coastal Menton area as Alpes-Maritimes authorities grapple with worsening drought conditions.

After being placed in the “heightened alert level”, the watersheds of Roya, Bévéra and coastal Menton are now on red alert, with water usage strictly supervised in these areas. They join several other municipalities in the Alpes-Maritimes such as Peille, Castillon and Tourettes-sur-Loup where watering is prohibited day and night and a 60% reduction in industrial consumption is required.

As drought conditions in Monaco’s neighbouring area worsen, the Prefecture released an official decree for the region on 2nd August banning the washing of boats and watering of gardens until at least the end of the month. Refusal to comply will carry a hefty €1,500 fine in the red zones.

The purpose is not to punish but to prevent unnecessary usage, including for agricultural purposes. Water usage at this point is to meet the needs of health care, civil security, drinking water and sanitation.

In the rest of the department, the situation remains the same. The alert remains at the vigilance stage for the Siagne downstream basin and the heightened alert stage of the catchment areas of the Siagne upstream, the Loup and the Cagne, the Var upstream and the Var downstream.

According to the Prefecture, the water refill season (from September 2021 to March 2022) of the department was down between 40% and 60% compared to the average, and is the second lowest since 1959. The Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes triggered drought vigilance on 9th March 2022 throughout the department, and since the beginning of spring, rainfall has remained low and river flows abnormally low. Minimal rainfall in June and July did not reverse the trend that has continued for several months.

“In times of drought, whether or not we are subject to restrictive measures, each of us must, more than ever, control our daily water consumption with simple gestures: favour showers, install water saving equipment, running washing machines at full capacity, reusing rainwater, etc.,” said the prefecture in a statement.