More than 400 French towns on Tuesday recorded their highest-ever May temperatures, and the hot weather is set to continue into Wednesday with the mercury forecast to hit 37C in the south west.

Climate change is causing earlier and more intense heatwaves, France’s weather agency said.

France faced unusually hot weather on Monday, the national weather service said, after enduring record high temperatures for a month of May at the weekend.

Parts of Spain could also see the mercury climb to 40C by the end of the week