France's record-breaking February heatwave over

February's record-breaking heatwave is over, with temperatures on Thursday heading closer to seasonal norms across the country - and rain and even storms forecast along the Belgian border.

Colder, wetter weather is expected to spread across France from the northwest over the coming days.

Before the high-pressure anti-cyclone that brought the warm weather - along with wildfires in Corsica - retreated, however, it smashed temperature records for the month.

Temperatures more suited to the summer were recorded in the southwest on Wednesday at the end of a heatwave that started in mid-February. In Aïcirits (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), the temperature reached a maximum of 28.1C. In Eus (Pyrénées-Orientales), the mercury rose to 27.7°C, and at Belin-Béliet (Gironde), it peaked at 27.4°C.

The national average temperature on Wednesday was 20.9C, Meteo-France said - beating the previous February record of 20.2C set on February 28, 1960.

Several northern hemisphere countries - including the UK, where temperatures of 21.2C were recorded near London on Tuesday - broke temperature records for February. The duration, extent and high temperatures of the heatwave have prompted weather experts to blame climate change.

France's February record high - 31.2C in Saint-Girons (Ariège) on 29 February 1960 - still stands. It was caused by a long-recognised meteorological phenomenon called the 'foehn effect', in which a dry, warm, down-slope wind occurs in the lee of a mountain range