Health authorities in New Caledonia have warned about risks posed by record high temperatures.
Official readings have seen temperatures in Ouvea rise to above 35 degrees, which is the hottest ever measured there.
People who are ill as well as the old and small children are advised to stay in cool places and keep drinking lots of fluids.
Sport activities are to be restricted to the early morning or the end of the day.
In nearby Wallis and Futuna, the month of January was the hottest and driest since records began in 1971.
In Futuna, 35.8 degrees was measured on 10 January.
