France was in the grip of its fourth heat wave of the year on Monday, as the country faced its worst drought on record, according to the government.
According to Meteo France, the heat wave began in the south and is predicted to sweep across the country and linger until the weekend.
The southern half of France can expect daytime temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) and overnight temperatures of no less than 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit).
The high temperatures aren’t helping firemen battling a blaze in the Chartreuse Mountains, near the Alps in eastern France, where officials have evacuated some 140 people. According to Meteo France, this week’s heat wave will not be as severe as the one that occurred last month, when numerous locations suffered record-breaking temperatures.
However, the high temperatures are occuring during the most severe drought ever recorded, according to the authorities. Last month was the driest July since records began in 1959.
The administration announced last week that more than 100 communities are unable to offer drinking water through taps and require water truck supplies. The heat also led energy company EDF to temporarily reduce electricity generation at some of its nuclear plants, which utilise river water to cool reactors.
