After an early summer heatwave in June, France is about to face another peak in temperatures that will last throughout the coming week, reports RFI.
Forecasters have warned that conditions are ripe for forest fires, like the giant blaze in the southern Gard region which firefighters have finally brought under control after three days.
The southwest and the Rhone Valley are the regions most likely to be affected by the new heatwave.
Although the current temperatures at the weekend were considered to be in line with expectations for the season, Météo France weather agency says this is just the beginning of what is shaping up to be a ten day hot spell, similar to the one in June.
Jean-Yves Choplin, forecaster with the national agency said temperatures close to 40°C would be felt from midweek, particularly in the southwest and the southeast, while the northern half of the country could expect somewhere between 30 and 34°C.
There are several factors contributing to the gradual rise in temperatures, he explains.
Up until Monday, it has mainly been due to "a fairly powerful anticyclone which covers Eastern Europe and limits air circulation," Choplin told France Info.