France’s La chaîne météo is warning of heatwave temperatures in many parts of the country starting from the end of the coming week, several weeks earlier than previous episodes of very hot weather.

The south-west and the centre of France will be the hottest, with maximum temperatures between 34 and 38, but as much as 40 in Aquitaine and parts of the Mediterranean back country. Bordeaux may beat the existing record of 39.2 centigrade and Paris is likely to endure a high of 35.

Guillaume Séchet, a writer on extreme weather, told Le Parisien: “If we experience a new arrival of Saharan air in the middle of summer, we can fear temperatures of 43°C in Paris and up to 45°C in the south. This really scares me for the next twenty years because it is not impossible that we will one day approach the 50°C threshold in France.”

The coastal parts of the Alpes-Maritimes and Monaco will be spared the worst of the heat, forecasters say, with the maximum hitting 30 by the weekend of June 18-19. However, nights will continue to be warm, offering little respite.

ILLUSTRATION: Temperatures on the left are anticipated, while on the right are current records Courtesy La chaîne météo via Le Figaro