Amman, July 11 (Petra) -- France has declared a state of maximum alert due to an intense heatwave that has sparked wildfires, forcing major tourist landmarks including the Eiffel Tower to close early, weather authorities reported on Saturday.

The Paris region and large swathes of western France have been placed under the highest red alert level by the national weather service, Meteo France. Forecasters warned that temperatures could hover between 39 and 40 degrees Celsius (102.2 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit), adding that the extreme heatwave is expected to persist until the middle of next week.

//Petra// AF