France cools down after five-day heatwave

FRANCE is cooling down after a five-day heatwave that sent temperatures soaring into the high 30s - with just 13 departments to the east of the country on orange alert for excessive heat.

National forecaster Météo-France kept Ain, Allier, Ardèche, Drôme, Isère, Jura, Loire, Nièvre, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Saône-et-Loire, Savoie and Haute-Savoie on its second highest weather alert, with temperatures of up to 38C forecast - notably in the lower Rhône Valley at Provence. It said that temperatures here are expected to dip within the next 24 hours.

It warned that several departments in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes can expect storms in the afternoon. Elsewhere, storms are also forecast near the Pyrenees, but are expected to be less intense.

Areas close to the Mediterranean can expect high daytime temperatures, too, it warned - though they will be lower than in recent days.

The difference in temperatures will be noticeable across regions where the alert has been lifted. The temperature is forecast to reach 28C in Paris on Friday, compared to 37C on Thursday - though it is still expected to reach the mid-30s in Montpellier, Lyon and Grenoble.