A heatwave swept across south-west France on Monday, with temperatures reaching 43°C in parts of the Charente and Aude.
In Aude, a mix of vineyards and Mediterranean scrub, hundreds of firefighters remained on the hillsides, protecting the edges of a massive blaze that burned 16,000 hectares (40,000 acres) last week.
Officials said the fire was under control but warned it would take weeks to be fully contained as pockets of flame were still smouldering.
The national weather agency Meteo-France has issued a red alert in 12 departments – the highest heat warning in France – and is forecasting a heatwave that will spread from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean plains.
Forty-one other departments, as well as the neighbouring microstate of Andorra between France and Spain, are under orange alert.
Pictures on social media show shuttered streets in Valence, residents covering their windows with foil to reflect the light, and tourists sheltering under umbrellas along the Garonne in Toulouse.
To the south, cafe terraces stood empty as people sought cooler spots indoors.
The red alert has been issued only eight times since it was introduced in 2004 following the tragic summer of the previous year.
It is designed for extreme, prolonged heat that poses significant health risks and can disrupt daily life.
The provision gives local authorities the power to cancel outdoor events, close public spaces and adjust school or summer camp schedules.
France's second heatwave of the summer began on Friday and is expected to last all week until the bank holiday weekend on August 15.
It is already moving north: in the Centre-Loire Valley region, temperatures of 38°C are forecast, and in Paris, up to 34°C.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
