Fourth heatwave of 2026 hits France: 23 départements on orange alert as fires burn in Landes and Gironde

A new heatwave spreads

France is under its fourth heatwave of 2026, with Météo France warning that the hot spell will "se généraliser à une grande partie du pays". On Wednesday 29 July, 16 départements were placed on orange alert, including the Landes and Gironde, where huge wildfires are still burning. Temperatures in the southwest were forecast to reach 42°C in Bordeaux, 41°C in Mont-de-Marsan and Tarbes, and 40°C in Toulouse and Lyon. Paris was set to hit 39°C, Rouen 39°C, and Lille 36°C. Only Brittany, the Manche and parts of the Mediterranean coast escaped with green-level alerts on Wednesday.

Bordeaux42

Mont-de-Marsan41

Tarbes41

Lyon40

Toulouse40

Paris39

Rouen39

Clermont-Ferrand39

Vichy39

Amiens37

Reims37

Lille36

Strasbourg36

Ajaccio36

Gap36

Rennes36

Bordeaux

42 °C

Mont-de-Marsan

41 °C

Tarbes

41 °C

Lyon

40 °C

Toulouse

40 °C

Paris

39 °C

Rouen

39 °C

Clermont-Ferrand

39 °C

Vichy

39 °C

Amiens

37 °C

Reims

37 °C

Lille

36 °C

Strasbourg

36 °C

Ajaccio

36 °C

Gap

36 °C

Rennes

36 °C

Data from the article text

In the Landes and Gironde, the heat compounded the fire crisis. Météo France described the situation as a "très fort pic de chaleur" in a "contexte particulièrement difficile".

“The heat peak is intense, in a particularly difficult context, requiring particular vigilance.”

Alert expansion on Thursday

By Thursday 30 July the orange alert zone will have grown. Seven additional départements in the southeast and Corsica will join the list: Var, already hit by wildfires, Hautes-Alpes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Vaucluse, Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud. That will bring the total to 23 départements on orange alert. Another 69 départements are expected to be under yellow vigilance, while only four, in Brittany and the Manche, remain in green.

At the same time, the extreme heat in the southwest is forecast to ease. Landes and Gironde are scheduled to drop back to yellow alert at 6 a.m. on Thursday, thanks to a "nette baisse des températures".

Megafire adds to strain

Firefighters in the Landes and Gironde have been battling a megafire that has already ravaged 42,000 hectares. The return of scorching temperatures on Wednesday placed extra strain on emergency services, with Météo France urging special vigilance. BFMTV reported that the heatwave was alarming for crews already fighting multiple blazes across the country.

Unequal cooling

While the western half of the country is expected to cool significantly on Thursday, the Centre-Est will remain in the grip of high heat. Météo France forecasts that the heatwave will be "durable sur le Centre-Est" through the end of the week, with temperatures there still between 36°C and 39°C on Wednesday and staying elevated beyond. On Thursday, only a handful of departments will enjoy green-level conditions; the rest will be under yellow or orange alert.