Climate · Paris, Toulouse, and Lyon
France braces for 40°C heatwave as 50 departments go on yellow alert, exams and rail networks disrupted
Temperatures across most of France will climb to 35°C through midweek, with Météo-France warning of local 40°C peaks by Sunday. The heat has already forced the education minister to allow postponement of baccalauréat oral exams.
AI text based on reports by SudOuest.fr and Franceinfo. Changed . How it is made
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In brief
Météo-France placed 50 departments under yellow vigilance for heat, with an orange upgrade likely from Thursday midday for the Paris basin to central France corridor.
Forecasters warn of local 40°C peaks on Sunday, the summer solstice and Fête de la Musique day, making this one of the earliest such readings on record.
Education minister Edouard Geffray said oral exams may be delayed by hours or days; he had already called for no afternoon exams during the heatwave.
This is France's first heatwave of 2026 and the 52nd since records began, with climate change making such episodes more frequent, earlier and more intense.
Ecological transition minister Monique Barbut will present a first assessment of the PNACC, which prepares France for up to +4°C warming by 2100.
- 17 Jun50 departments under yellow vigilance; 30–35°C across most of France, 36–37°C in South-West, Centre-West and Centre-East
- 18 JunOrange vigilance expected from midday for Paris basin to central France corridor
- 21 JunSunday peak: local 40°C possible, coinciding with summer solstice and Fête de la Musique
The heat builds
A mass of hot air settled over France on Wednesday, pushing daytime highs to 30–35°C across most regions and triggering a yellow heat alert in 50 departments. Météo-France described the episode as "fortes chaleurs" affecting a large part of the country, with the South-West, Centre-West and Centre-East already seeing 36–37°C readings. The forecaster expects the alert to escalate to orange from Thursday midday for a corridor stretching from the Paris basin to the centre of the country.
The event is the 52nd heatwave recorded in France since nationwide monitoring began in 1947, and the first of 2026. Météo-France noted that late May had brought record-breaking temperatures for the month, but that episode fell short of the technical criteria for a heatwave.
Sunday peak and summer solstice
Sunday, which marks both the Fête de la Musique and the summer solstice, is the day forecasters are watching most closely. Météo-France told a press conference on Tuesday that several regions could see "des pointes à 40°C," a threshold that would make this one of the earliest 40°C readings in French records. The heat is expected to persist through the weekend before easing early next week.
“Un passage en vigilance orange est probable à partir de jeudi midi sur les régions allant du bassin parisien au centre du pays.”
Exams disrupted
France's baccalauréat calendar has collided directly with the heatwave. Specialty written exams are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, and education minister Edouard Geffray announced on Tuesday that oral exams could be postponed locally by "quelques heures ou de quelques jours." He had already stated on Sunday that he wanted no afternoon exams to take place during the heatwave.
“Les oraux du bac pourraient être reportés localement, de quelques heures ou de quelques jours.”
School logistics are under strain as buildings without air conditioning face the challenge of keeping exam halls below dangerous temperatures. The SNCF and EDF are also adapting their networks, with rail operators monitoring track buckling risk and the grid operator managing elevated electricity demand from cooling.
Adaptation plan under review
Ecological transition minister Monique Barbut is due to present a "premier bilan" of the Plan National d'Adaptation au Changement Climatique (PNACC) on Wednesday. The plan is designed to prepare France for a warming trajectory of up to +4°C by 2100. The timing, during the first major heatwave of the year, gives the assessment immediate political weight.
The current episode is being framed by officials as a preview of the summers France must adapt to. Météo-France has linked the increasing frequency, earliness and intensity of heatwaves to climate change driven by massive fossil-fuel use.
- 1947–2000
- 30 heatwaves
- 2000–2020
- 15 heatwaves
- 2020–2026
- 7 heatwaves
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Sources and context
- SudOuest.frDIRECT. Vague de chaleur en France : les températures vont grimper jusqu'à dimanche, 50 départements en vigilance jaune... Suivez les dernières infos
- FranceinfoDIRECT. Une vague de chaleur déferle sur la France, avec des températures comprises entre 30°C et 35°C dans de nombreux départements
- Edouard Geffray
- French education minister who announced baccalauréat oral exams could be postponed locally due to the heatwave
- Monique Barbut
- French minister of ecological transition presenting a first assessment of the PNACC climate adaptation plan during the heatwave
- Places
- Paris
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