Wildfires broke out in the Corbieres area of Aude in the southwest, where temperatures topped 40 degrees, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and abbey as a precaution.

The south of the country saw highs of more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) Sunday, with temperatures between 35 and 38C (95-100F) across the region, national weather service Meteo-France said.

It reported 40.9C (105 F) in the small town of Grospierres in southeastern France, 40.1C in the village of Vinsobres in the southeast, and 39.9C in the town of Cadenet, also in the southeast.

The crushing temperatures which began in the south of the country on Friday will have spread to nearly all of France by Monday, with highs of 37 to 40 degrees Celsius forecast along the Mediterranean.

The number of departments under orange alert -- the second-highest level -- will rise to 84 on Monday, with temperatures expected to peak Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing highs of up to 41C (105.8F).

An interministerial crisis meeting on the heatwave was convened Sunday evening to review all the guidelines, particularly concerning health, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told BFMTV.

Some cities have already closed schools for the beginning of the week, as a protective measure.

In the southwestern city of Bordeaux, where temperatures reached 36 degrees, families packed a lakeside beach to seek shade beneath pine trees.

"At home, in the flat, it's just hell. We live in the dark, it's an oven," said Evan Bernard, who was with his 18-month-old son.

The heatwave spans southern Europe, from Italy to Portugal, where Lisbon and several regions are on red alert. In Spain, temperatures reached 46C (114.8F) Saturday in El Granado.

The heatwave is driven by a heat dome -- a strong anticyclone that traps warm air and prevents cooler systems from entering.

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