PARIS, July 3 (Reuters) - Regional ⁠officials will be allowed to cancel Tour de ⁠France stages if a red heatwave alert is issued, ‌according to a French Interior Ministry document seen by Reuters on Friday, as the race prepares for potentially extreme temperatures.

"In exceptional circumstances, and ​in consultation with the organiser and all ⁠relevant parties, you may ⁠decide to cancel a stage if health or operational conditions ⁠no ‌longer allow for the simultaneous safeguarding of spectators and staff, and the continued provision of emergency services ⁠to the public," the document addressed to ​regional prefects said.

Speaking ‌ahead of the Tour's departurein Barcelona on Saturday, race ⁠director Christian ​Prudhomme said he was confident the event could deal with extreme weather.

"We are ready to adapt anywhere, anytime, all the time," ⁠Prudhomme told reporters on Friday.

"There is ​a heat protocol in place for several years now, which takes into account not only the temperature but also humidity, wind ⁠and speed, bearing in mind that the riders are top-level athletes, well accustomed to high temperatures," he added.

In Carcassonne, which hosts the first French departure of this year's Tour ​in Tuesday's fourth stage, temperatures could ⁠reach 39 degrees Celsius, according to forecasts.

A June heatwave in ​France led to 2,025 excess deaths, ‌French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said ​earlier on Friday.

(Reporting by Layli Foroudi in Paris and Vincent Daheron in Barcelona; editing by Clare Fallon)