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European country France on Monday issued a “red alert” for four southern regions amid a spell of excessively hot weather, with temperatures expected to peak at 41 degrees Celsius in the Rhone valley.
The alert, France’s most serious, allows local authorities to call off sporting or cultural events and close public facilities if needed, reports Reuters.
The departments targeted by the alert, which became effective at 1600 local time (1400 GMT), are Rhone, Drome, Ardeche and Haute-Loire.
It was the sixth time the French meteorological service has triggered a red alert, part of the government’s programme to protect the population during periods of extreme weather, and the first such incidence this year.
Earlier on Monday, Meteo France issued an orange alert for half of the country’s territory, saying temperatures will reach between 35 and 38 C (95 to 100 F) in most of the affected departments.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
