France hits record high temperature in scorching heatwave

PARIS (Reuters) - France registered its highest temperature since records began on Friday as a sweltering heatwave engulfed much of southern and central Europe, weather forecaster Meteo France said.

The mercury hit 44.3 (111.74 fahrenheit) degrees centigrade in Carpentras, in the southern Vaucluse region. The previous record was 44.1 centigrade, reached during the deadly heatwave of 2003.

(Reporting by Richard Lough; Editing by Luke Baker)