+ ↺ − 16 pxMore than 40 French departments were placed under an orange heat alert on Tuesday as the country braces for its fifth heat wave since June. France’s national weather service, Meteo-France, placed 43 departments under an orange heat alert, with maximum temperatures expected to reach 35C to 37C (95F to 99F), Anadolu Agency reported. The heat is expected to intensify further on Wednesday, with maximum temperatures forecast to reach 36C to 39C (97F to 102F), while 67 departments are set to be placed under an orange alert. As France experiences its fifth heat wave since June, water levels are also continuing to fall amid persistent drought conditions. Thibault Datry, aquatic ecology research director at research institute Inrae, told broadcaster BFM that they are seeing “more rocks than water” in the rivers.