Paris, June 19 (SANA)A heatwave affecting much ofFrancehas disrupted rail services and prompted schools to alter schedules or suspend classes, as temperatures are expected to rise further in the coming days.

According to AFP, citing the national weather agency Météo-France, theheatwaveis expected to peak on Sunday or Monday, with temperatures reaching up to 40 degrees Celsius, including in Paris.

French authoritieshave raised the weather alert level to orange in around a quarter of the country, including the capital, and urged residents to take precautions and stay hydrated.

French railway operator SNCF said it had cancelled 71 long-distance train services between Thursday and Monday to prevent possible air-conditioning failures caused by the high temperatures.

Several schools in Paris also announced adjustments to class schedules starting Thursday afternoon.

In the city of Tours in the Loire Valley, Mayor Emmanuel Denis said he would not hesitate to close 58 educational institutions if temperatures become excessively high.

French authorities announced on May 26 that seven people had died in incidents linked to an unusually early heatwave affecting parts of Europe, as the continent experiences rising temperatures.

Scientistssay heatwaves in Europe are becoming more frequent due to climate change. They attribute the phenomenon to hot air moving north from Africa and becoming trapped under strong high-pressure systems, while warning that human-induced climate change is increasing the severity of extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts and floods.