Paris: Nearly 80 French departments were placed under an orange heat alert for Wednesday, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C (104F).

According to Anadolu Agency, France's national weather service, Meteo-France, issued orange heat wave alerts for 78 departments on Wednesday, and the number is expected to rise to 80 by Thursday. The ongoing heat wave is predicted to push temperatures to between 36C and 40C (97F-104F) across the country, with Saumur in the Maine-et-Loire department expecting highs of up to 39C-40C (102F-104F).

Meanwhile, 67 departments are under drought crisis measures this week, with 20 others at heightened alert levels, according to broadcaster BFMTV. Consequently, water restrictions have been implemented across large parts of the country, impacting activities such as watering, outdoor cleaning, and the use of public and private fountains.

As of August 1, nearly all of France's groundwater reserves, or 94%, were showing declining levels, as reported by the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research (BRGM), BFMTV noted. The government states that nearly 70% of France is currently subject to water-use restrictions.

In addition, 45 departments have been placed under orange alert due to a high risk of forest fires, intensifying concerns over the ongoing extreme weather conditions.