French heatwave sets new late-summer record

Temperatures in France hit an all-time high for late summer on Tuesday, the weather authority said, as the country continues to swelter under a punishing heatwave.

The nationwide average temperature over 24 hours hit 26.9 degrees Celsius (80.5 Fahrenheit), Meteo France announced Wednesday -- ahead of an expected peak in the August hot spell expected in the second half of the week.

Such continuously high temperatures have never been recorded so late in summer in records going back to 1947, the weather authority added.

Monday had already brought temperatures topping the previous 26.6 C record set in 2012.

Some 19 of mainland France's 96 departments were on red alert for heat on Wednesday, with 37 others at the lower orange warning level.

"A lasting and intense heatwave is in place across the southern two thirds of the country," Meteo France said.

Maximum temperatures in southern regions including the Rhone valley, the Occitanie region bordering Spain and the Aquitaine region around Bordeaux could reach 42 C, the authority added.

Meteo France added that much of the south would see temperatures coming close to or touching 40 C on Thursday, adding even minimum temperatures would surpass 20 C.

While the south is bearing the brunt of the heatwave, the north is not escaping weather-related misery altogether.

Parts of the northwest -- though not Brittany -- were being placed on orange alert from midnight Wednesday not for heat but for risk of severe gales accompanied by hailstorms and heavy rain as well as gusts of wind reaching 100 kph, Meteo France said.