Two toddlers found dead in mum's car amid 40C heatwave in France
They are believed to have entered the car without their mum's knowledge before becoming trapped inside
Two boys have been found dead in their family car as France swelters under a 40C heatwave.
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The toddlers, aged two and four, were found unresponsive inside their mother's car in a residential car park in southern France on Monday afternoon.
Their mother, 33, didn't know the children had climbed into the car, according to prosecutors.
They are believed to have entered the car without her knowledge before becoming trapped inside, Le Parisien newspaper reported. It is unknown how long they were inside the car for.
Authorities believe the extreme heat is the most likely explanation for their deaths.
Read more: France bans alcohol at music festival over skyrocketing temperatures
Police and firefighters arrived at the scene just after 1.20 pm after a call where they found “two children in cardiac arrest”.
Despite attempts at resuscitation, both children died.
Carpentras prosecutor’s office said the cause of death was "still under investigation" but that the heatwave was the "leading theory".
The mother has since been taken into care by emergency services and has not been questioned.
It comes as France battles scorching temperatures, with highs of 42C reported in Bordeaux, southern France.
Three elderly people have already died in the heatwave so far, while almost 2,700 schools have been forced to plan for closure.
The government has placed 49 of the country's 96 regional departments on a red heat alert, indicating a "danger to life".
Vaucluse, the department where the two boys died, has been under an orange heat alert since noon.
In parts of the country, temperatures could climb to a stifling 45C.
A red heat alert has been issued for parts of Britain, where temperatures are forecast to reach 38C to 40C in some parts of England and Wales.
This alert indicates “a risk to life for even the healthy population” as well as impacts beyond health and social care, with potential effects on transport systems, food, water, energy supplies and businesses.
Some schools have announced early closures while others have asked parents to pick up their children before the end of the normal day where possible in an effort to protect pupils amid extreme heat this week.