At least 55 people drowned in France while trying to cool off from record-breaking heat, Sports Minister Marina Ferrari told broadcaster Franceinfo.
The government fears that this number could rise in the coming days, as 61 French departments are under red heat alerts and another 25 under orange alerts on Friday, according to the broadcaster.
Authorities expect 11 departments to be downgraded from red to orange alert on Friday evening, while 13 more will be removed from the red alert list on Saturday morning.
According to Meteo-France, temperatures are expected to range between 36°C and 41°C across various parts of the country on Friday.
Health Minister Stephanie Rist warned on Thursday that hospitals could face a difficult end to the week as emergency department visits and calls to emergency services increased because of the heatwave, according to BFMTV.
Paris Police Prefect Patrice Faure also said hospitals in Paris and the surrounding region were already overwhelmed.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced on Thursday the activation of the level three ORSAN health emergency plan, which he said represents "the highest level of healthcare mobilisation."
Paris authorities also announced a ban on alcohol consumption in public from midday on Friday as part of measures to manage the effects of the heatwave.
