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"The peak of this heat wave is expected Monday," MeteoFrance
said in a statement, forecasting temperatures between 40 and 42
degrees - and "higher in some local areas" across France's
western Atlantic coast.
"The day could become one of the hottest ever recorded in
France," it said, adding that temperatures could edge towards an
unprecedented 40 degrees in the Brittany port of Brest in the
country's northwest.
It will become clear later on Monday whether a new national
all-day average temperature record, now standing at 29.4 degrees
reached from the historic heat waves of 2003 and 2019, will be
set.
Thick plumes of smoke could be seen from famous Atlantic coast
beaches close to the towering Pyla sand dune near Arcachon as
strong winds and high temperatures kept fuelling wildfires.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin sent three additional
water-bomber planes to the region.
Fires in the region have spread over 14,000 hectares (34,595
acres), the local state prefecture said in a tweet on Monday
morning, adding that there were reports of injuries so far.
France on Sunday issued red alerts, the highest possible, for
several regions, with residents urged "to be extremely
vigilant".
(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
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