Paris (EFE).- Temperatures rose to 40°C (104°F) in some French cities on Friday during the latest peak of the prolonged heatwave this summer.
The heatwave is expected to subside starting this weekend, however, its end is not yet clear, and there is no rain in sight to alleviate the historic drought.
Thermometers hit the symbolic 40°C mark in Tours and Carcassonne and nearly reached it in Paris, Avignon, Chartres, and Amiens, which recorded 39°C (102°F). Other cities that nearly reached 40°C include Lyon, Beauvais, Toulouse, and Reims, which recorded 38°C (100°F).
As of Friday afternoon, Météo France’s orange heat alert was in effect in 83 of France’s 101 departments. Only a few were excluded, primarily those along the Belgian border, the coasts of Brittany and Normandy, and the Pyrenees.
The situation remains virtually unchanged on Saturday, although a gradual drop in temperatures is expected in the western half of the country and will spread eastward on Sunday; however, the heat wave will persist in the southeast until at least the beginning of next week.
