Live: France issues heatwave alert for 23 departments as wildfires continue to blaze
Twenty-three French departments, including the wildfire-hit Landes and Gironde regions, will be placed on orange heatwave alert on Thursday, weather service Météo-France said on Wednesday. Earlier, local authorities warned that the heatwave could hamper efforts to contain a blaze that has forced 220,000 people to flee their homes in southwestern France. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.