Amman, June 20 (Petra) – French authorities have raised the heatwave alert to red, the highest warning level, in 35 departments and to orange in 45 others as an intense heatwave grips the country, with temperatures expected to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in some areas over the weekend.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), France's meteorological service warned that the heatwave is likely to be "widespread, prolonged and severe," with conditions expected to peak between Sunday and Tuesday.

Nearly 41 million people around two-thirds of the country's population are expected to be affected.

Temperatures could locally reach 41 degrees Celsius on Sunday, according to forecasts.

Experts have linked the unusually early heatwave to climate change. The extreme weather, which began last Thursday, has disrupted daily life across the country, prompting schools and businesses to adjust operations or temporarily close.

In response, the city of Paris has decided to keep parks and public gardens open overnight, providing residents with round-the-clock access to approximately 459 hectares of green space to help mitigate the effects of the heat.

Reference estimates indicate that heatwaves across Europe were responsible for more than 60,000 deaths in 2023 and 2024.

//Petra// AK