This photograph taken on March 30, 2023, shows a sign at the entrance of EDF nuclear power plant of Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux, in Saint-Laurent-Nouan, central France. (PHOTO / AFP)

PARIS - French power company EDF said it took its 1.3 gigawatt nuclear reactor Golfech 2, located close to the southern town of Toulouse, offline on Monday citing environmental reasons as the country goes through a spell of excessively hot weather.

French Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau told BFM TV on Monday that there was a risk some departments in southern France could be subject to a "red alert" warning due to extreme heat expected from Tuesday onwards

Water temperature levels at two other plants along the Rhone river in the southeast were seen surpassing the government guidance for nuclear cooling by Aug 24, Refinitiv data showed.

EDF had previously announced production warnings at the Bugey plant.

Separately, French Health Minister Aurelien Rousseau told BFM TV on Monday that there was a risk some departments in southern France could be subject to a "red alert" warning due to extreme heat expected from Tuesday onwards.

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For Monday, Meteo France had issued an orange alert for half of the country's territory, saying temperatures will reach between 35 and 38 C in most of the affected departments, while peaks of 40 C and above were expected in the southwest and in the Rhone valley.