A severe heatwave with temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius has pushed France into a state of high alert. The national weather service, Météo France, urged people across large parts of the country to exercise extreme caution on Tuesday.

Elsewhere, 41C is forecast in Lyon (Rhône), Villefranche-sur-Saône, Valence (Drôme), Angoulême (Charente), Bourgoin-Jallieu (Isère) and Périgueux (Dordogne). Grenoble and Voiron should reach 40C, while Saint-Marcellin and Villefontaine are expected to see 39C.

W ildfires have started and health alerts have come into force as the country enters its fourth heatwave of the summer – with temperatures reaching 33.4C in places. Use precise geolocation data and actively scan device characteristics for identification.

Firefighters were battling blazes in France, Spain and Portugal. Forecasters warned that temperatures would soar above 110 degrees Fahrenheit in some places.

PARIS (AP) — A heat wave gripped parts of Europe on Monday, sending temperatures up to 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 Fahrenheit) in southern France and increasing risks of wildfires in wine country, while Bulgaria suffered blazes along its southern borders and Hungary saw record-breaking weekend temperatures.

Firefighters were struggling to tame blazes in several countries in southern Europe, including Albania, Greece, Montenegro, Spain, and Turkey.