Parisians enjoy sun and record spring temperatures

Paris enjoyed its warmest day for the time of year since records began, beating the previous top temperature, reached in 1880.

Versailles, just outside Paris RFI. A Lopez

The French capital, where outdoor terraces filled up with sun worshippers, saw temperatures soar to 21.6 degrees Celsius, beating the 1880 record of 20.7 degrees Celsius, according to Meteo-France.

Other cities in northern France also enjoyed record temperatures for early March, it added.

Jerome Lecou, a forecaster at Meteo-France, said the temperatures were similar to those normally enjoyed in May, and capped a mild winter in the country.

"We were easily seven to ten degrees above seasonal averages," he said, before warning that temperatures were due to come back down at the end of the week.

The high temperatures have led to warnings about pollution levels and car drivers have been asked to try to reduce the number of journeys they make.