Red heat alerts issued in France, Italy and Spain as 40C temperatures forecast

Temperatures are expected to peak in many parts of the continent on Wednesday, with 41C forecast for Paris.

In the capital on Monday, several train lines also reduced services. France’s national railway operator SNCF urged “vulnerable” people to avoid or postpone train travel this week.

Some 845 schools in France were shut, while a further 1,800 are allowing pupils to finish classes early, the education ministry said. But more than a million high school students were to take their oral final exams for the baccalaureate amid the heat.

A red heat alert is the highest of four warnings issued by Météo-France, and advises people to exercise extreme caution in conditions that are potentially life-threatening.

Dozens of other regions in France are under an orange alert – the second-highest warning – with an estimated 63 million people in total affected across the country.