France's third summer heatwave intensifies with no end in sight as temperatures approach 40°C again
Météo-France warns that France's third heatwave of summer 2026, ongoing since July 28, will intensify in the coming days rather than end as previously hoped, with 40°C potentially within reach by midweek.
Third heatwave persists and intensifies
France's third heatwave of summer 2026, ongoing since July 28, was expected to end between Friday August 7 and Sunday August 9. Météo-France now says those hopes have been dashed: the latest forecasts not only fail to predict an end to the episode but indicate it will intensify, potentially making it one of the longest ever recorded in the country. The episode has now entered its second week with no projected end date. The national forecaster announced on Friday August 7 that heat would make a progressive "return in force" in the coming days, with persistent sweltering temperatures in the South. Starting Friday, a new mass of hot air will rise from the southwest and the Rhône Valley, before spreading north on Saturday. On its website, Météo-France provides specific temperature projections for the coming days.
The 30°C threshold will be often reached up to Brittany, Île-de-France and the German border, with 36 to 38°C in the South, even 39°C in the Southwest.
Weekend storms offer only brief respite
This weekend and Monday, stormy weather is expected from the Pyrenees to the Southwest plains and then the south, bringing a slight drop in temperatures in some regions. But from Tuesday, high pressures will reinforce over Europe, leading to higher heat levels from Wednesday to Friday. Temperatures around 35°C could then reach northern France, and 40°C could be approached in some areas, Météo-France indicates. The forecaster had initially hoped the third heatwave of the summer would end between August 7 and 9, but the latest models show no end in sight for the episode, which has now lasted more than ten days. The brief cooling from weekend storms will be confined to southern regions, while the north sees temperatures climb from Saturday onward.
- Early heat episode strikes France, described as particularly precocious
- First heatwave begins, described as historically intense
- First heatwave ends
- Second heatwave begins, will last 16 days
- Second heatwave ends
- Third heatwave begins
- Peak of 42.7°C recorded at Bélis (Landes)
- Météo-France announces intensification, no end predicted
Peak temperatures recorded across France
The heatwave has particularly affected the Southwest, with 42.7°C recorded at Bélis (Landes) on July 29, the peak intensity of the episode. The East has also been hit: 40.2°C was recorded at Aubreville (Meuse) on Monday, while at Lons-le-Saunier (Jura), the coolest point of the night saw 25.8°C. On Thursday, while temperatures were more bearable in the north, it was still 41.2°C at Les Mayons in the Var, with thermometers still around 40°C from Ardèche to Hérault. Readings above 40°C have been recorded from the Southwest to the East and the Mediterranean coast since the episode began.
- Bélis (Landes)
- 42.7 °C
- Les Mayons (Var)
- 41.2 °C
- Aubreville (Meuse)
- 40.2 °C
A summer of repeated heat
This is the third heatwave of summer 2026 in France, following a historically intense episode from June 17 to 30, and a particularly long one lasting 16 days from July 4 to 19. An early heat episode described as particularly precocious had also struck the country at the end of May. A heatwave corresponds to a precise climatological definition based on the Indicateur thermique national (ITN), a certain level of average temperature across 30 reference stations. Not all heat episodes qualify as heatwaves, Météo-France reminds. The succession of very high heat periods France has experienced for three months is mainly due to a succession of specific weather situations.
