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France records hottest June ever amid intense heatwave and drought
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Environment & Climate

France records hottest June ever amid intense heatwave and drought

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • France experienced its hottest June on record in 2026, with a heatwave in the latter half of the month breaking multiple temperature records.
  • The heatwave, lasting 14 days, was more intense than the historic 2003 heatwave, with daily average temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius on June 24 and 25.
  • Extreme temperatures have exacerbated a persistent drought, leading to critically low soil moisture levels and an increased risk of wildfires, with a significant excess of deaths recorded during the heatwave week.

France has just endured its hottest June since records began, primarily due to an intense heatwave that gripped the country in the latter half of the month. Météo-France reported that the heatwave, which started on June 17 and peaked on June 24 and 25, lasted 14 days. While shorter than the 16-day heatwave in 2003, this recent episode was significantly more intense.

The days of the peak this time were the hottest ever recorded in general in France since records began in 1947.

— Météo-FranceOfficial meteorological agency statement on the intensity of the June heatwave.

On June 24 and 25, the daily average temperature across France reached 30 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of 29.9 degrees set on June 23. The afternoons of June 24 and 25 were the hottest ever recorded, with an average maximum temperature of 38.5°C and 38°C, respectively. The night between June 24 and 25 was also the warmest on record, with an average minimum temperature of 22.0°C.

Individual locations experienced extreme highs, with Saint-Esprit recording 43.8°C on June 24 and Cognac reaching 42.7°C on June 22. Paris saw temperatures exceed 40°C on June 24 and 25, a threshold only crossed five times since records began in 1947. These extreme temperatures have worsened an ongoing drought, with soil moisture levels in regions like Alsace and Aquitaine approaching their most extreme recorded levels since 1959.

The Wednesday 24 June and the afternoon of Thursday 25 June were also the hottest afternoons ever recorded, with 38.5 °C on Wednesday and 38 °C on Thursday, as an average of maximum temperatures in France. The night from Wednesday to Thursday was also the warmest ever recorded, with an average minimum temperature of 22.0 °C.

— Météo-FranceSpecific details on record-breaking afternoon and nighttime temperatures during the heatwave.

The persistent drought poses a significant fire risk. Despite some rainfall, soil conditions have not shown significant improvement. Compounding the crisis, France's Ministry of Health reported an excess of at least 2,025 deaths during the week of June 22-28, coinciding with the peak of the heatwave, compared to the previous week.

The current soil situation is similar to that of major historical episodes (of drought) recorded since measurements began in 1959.

— Météo-FranceDescription of the severity of the ongoing drought.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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