Paris:France was bracing for its fourth major heatwave of the year on Tuesday, as soaring temperatures and tinder-dry conditions across the southwest piled pressure on crews battling a giant wildfire in the Bordeaux region.

Temperatures in Bordeaux are forecast to reach 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, around 7 degrees above the average high between 1961 and 1990, according to the Reuters Climate Monitor.

"The situation we are dealing with today is the most severe we have ever recorded, the toughest since the Second World War," President Emmanuel Macron, who flew to the area, said on Monday evening.

Fire crews had contained the blaze overnight, but the situation remained difficult, Nathalie Delattre, Senator for Gironde which covers the city of Bordeaux, said."Everything will depend on how the firefighters on the ground get on," she told BFM TV on Tuesday.

France is going through an unprecedented wildfire season. The area burned has already surpassed the previous record year of 2022.

The Landes area, southwest of Bordeaux, is covered by pine forests, which become highly flammable when dry. The fire has burned down 42,000 hectares so far.

Source:Ndtv