France braces for second heat episode of 2026, with temperatures set to reach 38°C by Thursday
Météo-France warns a new heat episode will settle over the country from mid-week, potentially becoming the first official heatwave of 2026, with temperatures up to 38°C forecast for Thursday.
The forecast
A new episode of intense heat will reach France from Wednesday 17 June, with temperatures climbing well above seasonal norms and possibly qualifying as the first official heatwave of 2026, according to Météo-France. The national meteorological service said on Sunday that peak temperatures on Thursday could hit 38°C in Nevers, 37°C in Paris and Brive, 36°C in Lyon, and 35°C in Toulouse.
We know that from the middle of the week we are triggering a heat episode — or even a heatwave.
How it compares to late May
This episode follows an earlier heat event in late May, when the national thermal indicator reached 24.8°C on 26 May, a record for the month. That episode was classed as exceptional for its earliness, falling short of heatwave status. The June event will be less exceptional in timing but will bring similarly high temperatures.
The late-May heat episode was exceptional in its precocity. This one will be less so. But these are very hot temperatures, well above seasonal norms.
What makes June different
A key factor in this episode is its proximity to the summer solstice. The longest days of the year mean shorter nights, limiting overnight cooling. Minimum temperatures from Wednesday and Thursday are expected to stay between 18°C and 22°C, pushing the national thermal indicator higher. Meteorologist Patrick Marlière noted that the May event was driven by an anticyclonic blocking dome, whereas the June episode results from warm air flowing up across western Europe. BFMTV reports that the heat will be more widespread geographically than in May, covering the entire country including northern regions.
- Nevers
- 38 °C
- Paris
- 37 °C
- Brive
- 37 °C
- Lyon
- 36 °C
- Toulouse
- 35 °C
The day-by-day picture
On Monday, heat will be concentrated along the western seaboard, with Bordeaux and Nantes reaching 35°C, Bourges, Limoges and Toulouse 33°C, and Rennes and Alençon 32°C. By Tuesday, the hot air mass shifts eastward to the Mediterranean coast and central regions, with Perpignan and Montpellier forecast at 35°C. On Wednesday, the 30°C threshold will be hit almost nationwide, except for Brittany and the Channel coast, with 35°C to 36°C in interior Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Centre-Val de Loire, and Burgundy. The episode's end will depend on thunderstorms expected late in the week.
Climate context
Scientists agree that repeated heatwaves are an unambiguous marker of global warming, and these events are set to multiply, lengthen, and intensify. France experienced a heatwave in June 2022 from 15 to 19 June that peaked at 43°C, and another in late June 2019 that set a national record of 46°C in a village in Hérault. Météo-France's two heatwave criteria require the national thermal indicator to exceed 23.4°C for three consecutive days, with at least one day above 25.3°C.
