PARIS, June 23 (Xinhua) -- The night from Monday to Tuesday was the hottest recorded in France since national meteorological records began in 1947, with the national nighttime heat indicator, calculated from data at 30 meteorological stations across the country, reaching 21.6 degrees Celsius, Meteo-France said on Tuesday.
According to the meteorological institute, 54 departments in mainland France were placed under red heatwave alert, the highest alert level, on Tuesday, while 35 departments were placed under orange alert.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Tuesday that around 40 people have drowned in France since June 18, mostly young people, news channel BFMTV reported. He also said that an interministerial crisis unit has been mobilized to respond to the heatwave. ■
