Summer 2026 has become the hottest summer on record in France since 1900, with an average temperature of 24.0 °C (75.2 °F), i.e., 3.6 °C (6.5 °F) above normal. Météo France issued an unprecedented climatic assessment: 53 days of heat waves, a historic drought, a 40% rainfall deficit, and record ocean temperatures. An event almost impossible without human-caused climate change.
Heat records shattered in France during Summer 2026
Météo France released a climatic assessment concluding that Summer 2026 was the hottest on record in France since 1900. With an average temperature of 24.0 °C (75.2 °F), 3.6 °C (6.5 °F) above normal, this summer far surpassed the scorching summers of 2003 (+2.7 °C / +4.9 °F) and 2022 (+2.3 °C / +4.1 °F).
Maximum temperatures registered an anomaly of 4.8 °C (8.6 °F), surpassing the +3.3 °C (5.9 °F) of the August 2003 heatwave. From mid-June to mid-August, heat was pervasive across the entire country, with a respite only in early June and late August.
Three heat waves defined the summer
Three heat waves defined this summer, totaling 53 days— a record for France. Summer 2022, already considered exceptional, had 33 heat days. The first wave, from June 17 to 30, stood out for its early onset. On June 24, 72 departments were on red alert with temperatures exceeding those of the August 2003 heatwave.
The second wave, from July 4 to 19, lasted 16 days and placed 37 departments on red alert. In Vivès, nighttime temperatures reached 30.6 °C (87.1 °F), a record for metropolitan France. The third wave, from July 28 to August 19, matched the duration of the July 1983 event but with greater intensity.
The 40 °C threshold breached in new regions
In 90% of the country, temperatures rose above 35 °C (95 °F) at least once. More alarmingly, 45% of the country recorded temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F). That threshold was breached 178 times, smashing previous records. Cities such as Strasbourg, Metz, and Noirmoutier logged 40 °C for the first time.
In the south of the Seine and Loire regions, more than 20 days of extreme heat were recorded, versus 1 to 5 days on average. In Provence, the tally reached 50 to 60 days, well beyond the usual 10 to 20 days.
Rainfall deficit and extreme drought
Summer 2026 saw the second-largest rainfall deficit since 1959, with 40% less rain. The number of rainy days dropped to 15–20 days, compared with 20–30 days normally. Some towns, like Cannes, saw only 3 rainy days. Soil drought reached record levels, particularly from the center-west to the northeast of France. The return of rain in August provided uneven improvement, insufficient to restore normal levels.
According to Météo France, Summer 2026 would have been nearly impossible without human-caused climate change, with an anomaly of +5.0 °C (+9.0 °F) relative to the pre-industrial era. Climate projections suggest that this type of event will become the norm if greenhouse gas emissions are not drastically reduced.
