Overview
- Météo‑France and Environment Minister Monique Barbut said Thursday that summer 2026 was the hottest since measurements began, citing a total of 53 days in heatwave conditions.
- The season included three major heatwaves, a late‑June episode that set a new intensity mark and a late‑July into August wave that matched the country’s longest run at 23 days, and it produced thousands of excess deaths.
- By the end of August wildfires had burned roughly six times the 20‑year average, drought exhausted local water sources and heat damaged infrastructure such as aging underground power cables, forcing emergency repairs and power outages.
- Meteorologists forecast a late‑season heat dome in early September that will push hot air from the Maghreb over France under anticyclonic conditions and could send daytime highs toward 35–40°C in parts of the south and central regions.
- Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu tasked Monique Barbut in July to speed adaptation measures; she has promised conclusions and a five‑year financing plan by the end of September while towns, farms and schools already deploy short‑term fixes like water reservoirs, cable upgrades and cooling devices.