Heatwave warning extended until weekend

Southeast France will continue to swelter under the current heatwave for a while longer, Météo-France has warned.

The national forecaster has extended its orange 'canicule' warning - its second-highest alert level - in 13 departments until the weekend, after residents and visitors sweated through another hot night.

Those departments are: Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04), Hautes-Alpes (05), Alpes-Maritimes (06), Ardèche (07), Bouches-du-Rhône (13), Corse-du-Sud (2A), Haute-Corse (2B), Drôme (26), Gard (30), Isère (38), Rhône (69), Var (83) and Vaucluse (84).

The mercury stayed above 26C in Lyon overnight, and 25C along the Côte d'Azur, and Côte Varoise. Meanwhile, parts of Corsica saw overnight temperatures of more than 30C, Météo-France said.

Temperatures in the regions affected by the orange alert on Thursday, August 3, are set to reach between 35C and 38C, and could touch 40C in some areas. The forecaster's current alert is set to last until Friday at 9pm, but it said that it expects little relief from the current conditions until Sunday

People in the affected areas are advised to limit physical activities and avoid going out during the hottest part of the day, between 11am and 9pm, drink at least 1.5l of water a day, and stay in a cool or air-conditioned building such as a shopping centre or cinema for two to three hours a day. At home, close shutters, curtains and windows against the heat and use a fan or air-conditioning if available.