European heatwave: France hits record temperature of 45.9C
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France has hit its highest recorded temperature - 45.9C (114.6F) - amid a heatwave in Europe that has claimed several lives.
The new record was measured in the southern village of Gallargues-le-Montueux. Before this year the previous record was 44.1C during a heatwave in 2003 that killed thousands.
France's weather service has issued an unprecedented red alert for four areas.
Those are all in the south, but most of the country remains on orange alert, the second-highest level.
