PARIS — France placed 35 departments under the highest red heat wave alert on Sunday, while 45 others remained under orange alert as authorities warned that temperatures could approach record levels in the coming days.National weather agency Meteo-France said temperatures could locally reach 41C on Sunday and warned that conditions are expected to become even hotter on Monday.The agency said the national average temperature could match the highest daily level ever recorded in France, regardless of the season.Maximum temperatures are forecast to range between 40C and 42C in areas placed under red alert.Meteo-France said the heat wave is expected to persist through much of next week, with exceptionally high daytime and nighttime temperatures likely to continue until at least Thursday.The agency also placed four departments under a high forest fire risk warning on Sunday and said the number would rise to 11 on Monday as hot and dry conditions continue across parts of the country.Authorities have not ruled out extending the red alert to additional departments.The extreme weather prompted special measures ahead of France’s annual Fete de la Musique celebrations on Sunday evening.The government announced a ban on public alcohol consumption in departments under red alert, while Paris police deployed additional river patrols to prevent drownings and prohibited unauthorized gatherings along parts of the Seine.According to police authorities, 4,800 police officers and gendarmes, along with 2,500 firefighters, were mobilized in Paris and the surrounding region for the event.The heat wave has also been linked to several drowning deaths.A 17-year-old boy died after being swept away by strong currents in the Dordogne River in southwestern France on Saturday, emergency services said.Separately, a 16-year-old boy drowned on a beach in Dunkirk, while two other teenagers died in eastern France on Friday after drowning in the Doubs River.French railway operator SNCF said it had activated emergency measures to maintain services despite the extreme temperatures.“We are fully mobilized to face these events and ensure traffic remains as normal as possible under these extreme conditions,” SNCF chief executive Jean Castex said.French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the country’s railway network was aging and called for additional investment to accelerate infrastructure renewal.He said authorities had taken measures to prepare for the heat wave but warned that its intensity and unusually early arrival were forcing officials to take steps aimed at preventing public services, particularly the healthcare system, from becoming overwhelmed.
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