France issues heatwave 'red alert' in 19 departments

France has extended its heatwave red alert - the most serious warning - to 19 departments amid a spell of excessively hot weather.Earlier, a map on "Meteo France" website showed that four departments in southern France, including Rhone, Haute-Loire, Ardeche and Drome, were under extreme risk of heat waves on Tuesday and Wednesday. Later, the Met Department put 15 more departments on red alert for Wednesday, including Ain, Lozere, Vaucluse, Tarn, Aude, and Gers.The soaring temperatures are affecting large parts of the country and were expected to peak at 42 degrees Celsius in Rhone Valley over the next 48 hours.In the French Alps, authorities urged climbers to delay scaling Mont Blanc, Europe's highest peak, because high temperatures had created dangerous conditions, including a greater risk of rockfall and new crevices opening on its glaciers.The Haute-Savoie region, which includes the French side of the Mont Blanc, is among the 49 departments under an orange alert for high temperatures.The alert allows local authorities to call off sporting or cultural events and close public facilities if needed.The Mediterranean region has been affected by repercussions of global warming and climate change clearly, facing annually unprecedented heatwaves that often cause raging fires and droughts.