Fourth heatwave of 2026 hits France: 23 départements on orange alert as fires burn in Landes and Gironde
Temperatures reached 42°C in Bordeaux and 40°C in Lyon on Wednesday as Météo France placed 16 départements under orange heatwave alert. On Thursday seven more will be added, bringing the total to 23, while firefighters in Landes and Gironde battle a megafire that has consumed 42,000 hectares.
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.
- 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
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".
- 16 départements placed under orange heatwave alert, including Landes and Gironde.
- 7 additional départements added, total 23 in orange alert.
- Landes and Gironde downgraded to yellow alert as temperatures drop.
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.
