PARIS, May 26 (Reuters) – Seven people have died in France, directly or indirectly due to the heat wave, French Junior Energy Minister Maud Bregeon said on Tuesday, a day after the national weather service recorded the hottest May day in French history.
• Five of the seven fatalities were people drowning in lakes, rivers or beaches, Bregeon said.
• The government has ordered local authorities to take measures to protect people during sporting events, she said.
• France has been experiencing higher-than-average temperatures since Saturday.
• Most of Brittany has been under an orange level warning by weather service Meteo France, which expects temperatures to reach up to 36 degrees Celsius (96.8° Fahrenheit) on Tuesday afternoon.
• The heat wave is expected to continue on Wednesday and Thursday, Meteo France said on its website.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro; Editing by Jan Harvey and Bernadette Baum)
