A blaze in southern France forced the closure of the Marseille airport, and weather agencies issued warnings for other parts of Europe where temperatures were expected to climb this week.

The heatwave in France significantly increased the number of deaths from drowning, with 429 swimming accidents resulting in 109 drownings between June 1 and July 2, the health authorities and the water rescue service said in Paris on Friday.

Sixteen departments have been placed on red alert, the highest level of warning, and 68 on orange alert as France faces the peak of a lengthy heatwave, which has already lasted 13 days.

Paris was on red alert for high temperatures on Tuesday, with the top of the Eiffel Tower shut, polluting traffic banned and speed restrictions in place as a searing heatwave gripped Europe.Mediterranean countries from the Iberian peninsula through France and Italy to the Balkans and Greece have been sweltering in a heatwave for several days,

According to France’s national environment agency Ademe, only 25 per cent of French homes had air conditioning in 2020 which was 14 per cent up from 2016.

The worst heat was felt in southern Europe, while punishing temperatures were forecast to reach 104 degrees Fahrenheit in Paris and remain unusually high in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Wildfires were raging in Spain and France on Tuesday after a dayslong heat wave parched landscapes in the region and turned woodlands into tinderboxes.

A fast-moving wildfire reached the outskirts of Marseille, France’s second-largest city, on Tuesday, leading its airport to be shut down, with residents told to stay indoors and shut all openings to be safe from the smoke.

Much of Europe, including France, is dealing with a brutal heatwave. Some people are better prepared than others in a country where most people do not have air conditioning.