Heatwave in Southern France Prompts 'Red Alert'

France has issued a "red alert" for four southern regions due to an ongoing heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach 41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Rhone valley. The alert allows local authorities to cancel events and close public facilities if necessary. This is the first red alert of the year and the sixth time it has been triggered by the French meteorological service. The government is taking measures to protect the population during extreme weather conditions. French hospitals have not reported a significant increase in heat-related illnesses so far. Additionally, French power company EDF has extended the outage at its Golfech 2 nuclear reactor due to the heatwave, as the river water used for cooling has surpassed maximum temperatures.