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Mercury to top 40C (again) in central France

Oliver Gee
Oliver Gee - [email protected]
Mercury to top 40C (again) in central France
A woman stays cool in Lyon, where temperatures reached 40C on Thursday. Photo: AFP

France's weather agency issued a heatwave warning for central France on Friday, predicting temperatures to reach 40C in some parts of the country.

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France's scorching summer shows no sign of fizzling out.
 
On Friday, weather agency Météo France issued an "orange alert" for the Rhône département in central France, which is set to stay in place until 9pm on Saturday. 
 
That's the second highest warning level and asks the public to be "vigilant".
 
 
Temperatures in the area have been high in recent days, with Lyon reaching 39C on Thursday and nearby Vallon-Pont-D'Arc hitting 41C. Nights have been warm too, with the mercury not dropping below 23C in the area. 
 
Friday afternoon will be a sweltering one for much of the eastern half of France, with hot spots especially in the eastern central area, continuing into the night (see maps below). 
 
But if you're hoping for a warm weekend you'll likely be disappointed. Showers will move in from the west on Saturday morning, developing into storms in the east by Sunday evening.


(Temperatures will reach 39C in some areas on Friday afternoon. Photo: Météo France)


(Some part of central eastern France won't drop below 27C in the middle of the night. Photo: Météo France)

This summer has been a particularly hot one for France and left many areas in drought and with water restrictions imposed. 
 
July's heatwave, which claimed the lives of at least 700 people, has also affected tourists and climbers in the French Alps, where authorities have warned that there are risks of avalanches on Mont Blanc as the warm temperatures soften the snow pack.

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