France swelters under record breaking heat
The temperature smashes a seven-decade-old record as a European heatwave nears its peak, the state weather service said.
Photo by Bertrand GUAY / AFP
Those planning on visiting Paris for a romantic mid-southern-hemisphere winter vacation should expect their romance to be steamier and sweatier than usual, as the French capital Paris on Thursday saw its hottest ever temperature of over 42 degrees Celsius.
The temperature breaks a seven-decade-old record as a European heatwave neared its peak, the state weather service said.
A temperature of 42.4 degrees Celsius (108.3 Fahrenheit) was recorded in the Montsouris area of the city at 3:20 pm (1320 GMT), Meteo-France said.
This reading smashed the previous high of 40.4C (104.7F) set in July 1947.
“And the mercury is set to climb even higher” in the Paris area, Meteo-France said on its website.
Temperatures could even reach 43 degrees (109.4 Fahrenheit) in the shade, “which is the average maximum temperature in Baghdad, Iraq in July,” it added.
The all-time temperature record had first been smashed in Paris Thursday lunchtime when 41 degrees Celsius (105.8 Fahrenheit) was recorded.
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