Around 68,000 households in France are without power and sales of air conditioners are skyrocketing. France's national temperature indicator - an average of day and night temperatures across 30 stations - reached 29.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, the highest temperature since records began in 1947.
On Wednesday, 58 departments are under a red heat warning, four more than on Tuesday. In 31 departments, the lower level of orange warning applies, the weather agency Météo France announced. High temperatures have already been measured on Wednesday morning, and are expected to rise during the day.
"A scorching sun is shining across the country, and the atmosphere is warming up rapidly. These sunny and oppressive conditions will persist in most regions throughout the afternoon, except in the southeast and northwest," said Météo France.
1,800 French schools are closed due to the heat.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned that the heat could quickly become a matter of life or death for the most vulnerable, AFP reports.
Heat warnings have also been issued in large parts of Spain and Italy. Poland, Croatia and Hungary have issued warnings for the next few days.
