The record-breaking temperature was recorded Friday in the small, southern town of Villevieille.
France's national weather service, Météo-France, issued its highest warning level for four regions of the country Friday, NPR reported.
About 4,000 schools closed for the day out of concern for students' safety. In Paris, volunteers distributed water to the homeless, according to The Independent.
At least four people have drowned in France this week, according to France 24.
“This heatwave is exceptional by its intensity and its earliness,” said Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. “Measures have been taken for the most vulnerable people. But given the intensity of the heatwave, it’s the entire population who must be careful today ... both for oneself and for loved ones and neighbours.”
Until Friday, the country's hottest day on record had been Aug. 12, 2003, when temperatures reached 111 degrees fahrenheit (44.1 degrees celsius), The Independent reported.
A heat wave has been sweeping parts of Europe this week. Heat records were broken in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Andorra, according to NPR.
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