• France experienced its hottest and sunniest summer on record in 2026, with maximum temperatures exceeding the seasonal average by 4.8 degrees and a heatwave prevailing on 53 days.
• The country also faced an unprecedented drought, with rainfall 40% lower than usual and sea temperatures along the coast reaching never-before-seen levels.
• Climate change was identified as the primary cause of the extreme weather conditions, with over 100,000 hectares of land engulfed by wildfires and 224,000 people evacuated due to major fires on the Atlantic coast.

France has recorded its hottest and sunniest summer since records began in 1900.

According to the national weather service, Météo France, maximum temperatures frequently reached unprecedented levels, exceeding the seasonal average by 4.8 degrees.

A heatwave prevailed on 53 days - more often than ever before and far ahead of the summer of 2022, which saw 33 such days. Furthermore, rainfall was 40% lower than usual. An unprecedented drought prevailed across the country on average, whilst sea temperatures never before observed were recorded along the coast.

There were also numerous wildfires on an unprecedented scale, which were exacerbated by the climatic conditions. Météo France reported that 2026 would be the year with the largest area of land ever affected by fire. Over 100,000 hectares was engulfed by fire, and 224,000 people had to be evacuated due to major wildfires on the Atlantic coast.

Climate change as the cause

As the weather service emphasized, such a summer would be virtually impossible without climate change, but even in the current climate it remains rare. Very hot spells occurring outside the summer months, such as last May or early September, are a sign of climate change.