The national weather authority has placed multiple departments on high heat alert, while officials warn of worsening air quality in several regions, including Marseille, Paris and parts of southern France.

A heatwave hit parts of Europe on Monday, reaching 43°C in southern France and sparking wildfire risks, while Bulgaria battled nearly 200 blazes and Hungary saw record highs. France issued rare red alerts as scientists warn Europe is warming nearly twice the global rate,

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.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves in Europe. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

A severe heatwave has engulfed southwest France, pushing temperatures as high as 43°C. Both Charente and Aude regions are affected, with wildfires consuming 16,000 hectares. Meteo-France placed 12 departments on red alert due to exceptional heat.

The national weather authority, Meteo-France, placed 12 departments on red alert, France’s highest heat warning, anticipating exceptional heat stretching from the Atlantic coast to the Mediterranean plains. Forty-one other departments were under lower-level orange alerts, as was the neighbouring microstate of Andorra, between France and Spain.

In Aude, a region of vineyards and Mediterranean scrubland, hundreds of firefighters remain on hillsides, guarding the edges of a massive blaze that scorched 16,000 hectares last week. Officials state the flames are under control,

France is on high alert as an ongoing heat wave worsens air pollution in several regions, including Marseille, Paris, and parts of the south. This August 11, temperatures reached 109°F (43°C) in Charente and Aude,