The dangerously high temperature set in France on Friday met the expectations of meteorologists as the mercury hit 45°C in Carpentras and Vaucluse, according to the French BFM TV broadcaster.
It has taken more than a decade for the French weather to beat its 2003 record, when the temperature reached 44.1°C in the Vaucluse department.
French authorities have urged the public to be cautious in light of the scorching weather conditions.
Southern France is in the midst of dangerous weather conditions as the whole of Western Europe is dealing with an intense heat wave this week that reportedly may turn deadly.