France placed 72 departments under red heatwave alerts and 17 others under orange warnings on Thursday as scorching temperatures continued to grip much of the country.
The national weather service, Météo-France, said temperatures were expected to remain exceptionally high after Wednesday became the country’s hottest day since 1947, with the national temperature indicator reaching 30°C.
Several temperature records were broken in western France, including 43°C in Fontenay, while temperatures were forecast to exceed 30°C across most of the country and climb to 40°C in some regions on Thursday.
Météo-France said the highest-level alert would be lifted in 11 western departments later on Thursday as conditions gradually eased.
Meanwhile, broadcaster BFMTV reported that 48 departments were also placed under orange alert due to an elevated risk of wildfires, with the threat classified as very high in the Deux-Sèvres and Haute-Garonne departments.
The heatwave also disrupted public services, with train operations in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region suspended during the daytime until Friday and limited to morning and evening schedules.
Education Minister Édouard Geffray said around 3,500 schools remained closed on Thursday, while another 10,000 introduced modified timetables to protect students and staff from the extreme heat.