Heat tops 45C in France for first time: Weather service

The temperature in France on Friday surpassed 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) for the first time as Europe wilted in a major heatwave, state weather forecaster Meteo-France said.

The record was set in the village of Villevieille in the southern department of Gard, which registered a high of 45.1 degrees Celsius. The previous record stood at 44.1 degrees Celsius in the same area during the notorious August 2003 heatwave, Meteo-France told AFP.

This year is on track to be among the hottest ever and that would make 2015-2019 the world's hottest five-year period on record, the World Meteorological Organization said on Friday.

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It is too soon to definitely attributeEurope's current blistering heatwave to climate change but it is "absolutely consistent" with extremes linked to the impact of greenhouse gas emissions, the United Nations agency said.