Overview

• Friday marked the peak of the short heat burst, with 35°C or more in parts of the South‑West including Gironde, Lot‑et‑Garonne, Landes and Gers, while northern cities topped 29–32°C and Brittany stayed cooler.
• Forecasters expect widespread thunderstorms from Saturday into Sunday, with heavy rain of 20–40 mm generally and up to about 70 mm locally in Provence.
• Temperatures are projected to fall by roughly 7–20°C by early week, with some regions likely to see daytime highs dip below 15°C.
• Météo‑France describes the episode as remarkable but not unprecedented, and no nationwide heat alert was issued for this brief surge.
• The late warmth lifted terraces and beach trade and hastened grape harvests, with industry leaders saying many regions aim to finish vendanges before the end of September.