French President Emmanuel Macron has warned the country is facing its "toughest crisis since the Second World War" after visiting firefighters near Bordeaux on July 27.

More than 220,000 people have been evacuated, over 160,000 hectares have been burned, as authorities say the threat is far from over. The crisis comes just weeks after France's record June heatwave, which health authorities estimate caused at least 5,764 excess deaths.