Amid the rising heatwave in Europe which has already claimed several lives, France has hit its highest recorded temperature of 45.1C (113.2F).

The new record was measured in the southern town of Villevieille. The previous record was 44.1C which was recorded during a heatwave in 2003 which killed thousands.

Confirming the development, the country’s Health Minister, Agnès Buzyn warned that everyone was at risk from the high temperatures while the weather service has issued an unprecedented red alert for four areas.

The red alerts are all in the south but most parts of the country remain on orange alert, the second highest level.

Swathes of the European continent are experiencing extreme heat, with Germany, France, Poland and the Czech Republic all recording their highest-ever June temperatures.

Meteorologists say hot air drawn in from northern Africa is responsible for the heatwaves, caused by high pressure over central Europe and a storm stalling over the Atlantic.

In southern France, the areas of Gard, Vaucluse, Hérault and Bouches-du-Rhône are expected to see temperatures between 42C and 45C on Friday.

A climatology institute in Potsdam, Germany, says Europe’s five hottest summers since 1500 have all been in the 21st Century.

Scientists are concerned that rapid warming linked to use of fossil fuels has serious implications for the stability of the planet’s climate.