The sweltering heat that has been battering much of the European continent for weeks is set to take hold of France too this weekend.

Between Thursday and Saturday, temperature will ramp up well above 30C in most French regions, just days before the beginning of the Olympic Games – reaching nearly 40C in some areas.

The thermometer could hit 39C in the Toulouse area in the beautiful Occitanie region adored by British tourists.

Other popular areas are also to boil under scorching heat, including Nimes, also in the Occitanie region, and Agen, in the Bordeaux area, both forecasted by La Chaîne Météo to hit 38C over the coming days.

The area most affected by the first heatwave to hit France this year will be the southeastern region, where temperatures will be pushed well above the seasonal average.

Speaking about the upcoming heat, Météo France said: “Thursday and Friday will be hot, sunny days over almost the whole country, although the risk of showers in mountainous areas will increase slightly on Friday.

“With the exception of the Channel and Atlantic coasts, temperatures will approach or reach 30°C from Thursday.”

Friday is set to be the hottest day of the week across the country, with temperatures expected to be between 30C and 35C in most regions and maximum temperatures set to rise 5C to 10C above seasonal normals.

While Paris and other areas of northern and central France had been spared so far by the heat, Mediterranean and eastern Europe have been baking under high temperatures for several days, with governments forced to issue warnings to tourists and locals alike.

Earlier this week, Dubrovnik marked the highest-ever temperatures of the Adriatic Sea as it hit 30C.

Temperatures in some areas of Greece, Italy, Albania and Spain have reached 40C on multiple days.

Speaking about the weather, a Spanish tourist in Rome named Carmen Diaz told AP: “It’s hellishly hot.” Using a fan to stave off the heat, she added: “These fans help a little too, but it’s really hot.”

Temperatures are to spike also in the UK this weekend, with London forecasted to reach 31C on Friday.