A second wave of the coronavirus epidemic is “highly likely” to hit France in the autumn or winter, the government’s top scientific body has warned, as authorities seek to contain an increase in new cases over the past two weeks.

“The situation is precarious and we could at any moment tip into a scenario that is less under control, like in Spain,” the French scientific committee said in a statement published by the health ministry.

“It is highly likely that we will experience a second epidemic wave this autumn or winter,” it said, adding that if people failed to respect social distancing rules, it could not rule out a return of the epidemic as soon as this summer.