Large parts of France are set to see scorching temperatures over the next week as a dôme de chaleur (heat dome) forms over the country.

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On Thursday 12 départements were under weather warnings for heatwave conditions, and that number is expected to rise over Friday and Saturday. 

“These high temperatures are set to last, with peaks nearing 40C on the Mediterranean coast and the Rhone valley from this weekend,” weather authority Météo France said.

Heat will spread into central and northern France as well, with temperatures of 35C forecast for Paris.

Thermometers will not begin to fall until “the middle or even the end of next week,” Météo France added.

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On Thursday afternoon, prime minister Elisabeth Borne called an emergency inter-ministerial meeting to deal with the heatwave, and the associated risk of wildfires.

Meteorologists say they are not expecting too many temperature records to tumble – unlike the 2019 heatwave which saw a new national record (46C in the south east) and Paris record (42.6C) – but this heatwave could set records for length and intensity.

It’s predicted that an average temperature of 27C is likely to be recorded for multiple days across 30 monitoring stations nationwide.

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Although areas of the south of France have seen scorching temperatures, droughts and wildfires, the centre and north of the country has so far escaped the soaring temperatures that struck Italy, Greece and Spain in July.

You can keep up with the latest weather alerts and government heatwave advice HERE.