France sets new September heat record at 40.3°C in Tarn

France has broken its national September heat record, with temperatures reaching 40.3°C in Lavaur, in the Tarn, according to Météo-France. The reading was recorded on Sunday and announced on Monday.

It surpassed the previous national record of 40.2°C, measured in Pissos in the Landes on Sept. 12, 2022. The new high came during another spell of extreme heat, concentrated mainly in southern France.

Six departments in the south and southeast, Ardèche, Aude, Drôme, Gard, Hérault and Vaucluse, were placed under an orange heatwave alert on Sunday. Other local records included 39.6°C in Salindres, 39.2°C in Albi, 37.4°C in Agen and 34°C in Aurillac.

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The heat also persisted overnight. Minimum temperatures reached 22°C in Orgnac-l’Aven, 23.6°C at Nîmes-Garons, 22.9°C in Avignon and 22.4°C at Bordeaux-Mérignac. La Chaîne Météo said nearly 600 monthly heat records had been broken between the previous Thursday and Sunday.

Météo-France described the summer as France’s hottest on record, with 53 days of heatwaves. La Chaîne Météo said temperatures had begun to fall in Occitanie, allowing heat alerts to be lifted gradually between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning in Occitanie and southern Rhône-Alpes.

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a beginning drop in temperatures is occurring in Occitanie. This improvement should allow the heatwave alert to be lifted gradually between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning in Occitanie and southern Rhône-Alpes.