France on high alert as heatwave pushes temperatures past 40 degrees

A severe heatwave with temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius has pushed France into a state of high alert.

The national weather service, Météo France, urged people across large parts of the country to exercise extreme caution on Tuesday.

Fourteen administrative districts have been placed under the highest heat warning level, red, while 64 others remain at the orange warning level.

Hospitals have been put on notice to receive patients weakened by the extreme temperatures, Health Minister Catherine Vautrin said, as the weather conditions also led to elevated ozone levels and deteriorating air quality in cities.

The state railway SNCF once again cancelled several intercity train connections on the Paris-Clermont-Ferrand and Bordeaux-Marseille routes until Friday due to the heat.

It is feared that the air-conditioning systems in the older trains, some of which are used on these routes, are unable to cope with the extreme temperatures.

To help people cool down, the city of Lyon has kept a park open overnight, allowing people to sleep outdoors, while several air-conditioned museums have opened their doors free of charge to offer relief to the public.

In Bordeaux, a centre has been opened to provide shelter from the heat for the homeless.

Public spaces such as the Paris Metro are displaying warnings encouraging people to drink enough fluids and protect themselves from the heat.

Meanwhile, the risk of wildfires remains exceedingly high due to heat and dry conditions.

Météo France warned that the extreme temperatures are continuing to dry out the soil and vegetation, with particular concerns for the south-west, which is enduring an unusually severe drought.

This past weekend, firefighters managed to largely contain the largest wildfire in France in decades, which had been raging in the south after several days of firefighting efforts.