Scorching temperatures across France reached a record average of 30 degrees on Wednesday.
By Jackie Flynn Mogensen edited by Claire Cameron
People cool off during a heatwave in Paris on June 20, 2026.
Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images
A historic heatwave hits France: on Wednesday, national average temperatures reached a record high of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) day and night. according to Météo-France, the country’s national weather service, broke the previous all-day temperature record, set in July 2019 at 29.4 degrees C (84.9 degrees F).
The national average temperature brings together readings from 30 stations across the country; Paris, for example, reached 40.3 degrees C (104.5, while Bordeaux reached 41.8 degrees C (107.2 F) on Wednesday; and in Cazaux, in the south of France, the temperature was a scorching 43.6 degrees C (110.5). Earlier in the week, about 20 percent of the country experienced temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), the weather agency said.
The incessant heat has already contributed to dozens of deaths in France last week, including 40 swimmers who died by drowning, according to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. said Tuesday. Three elderly people and two children who were victims of overheating in a car also died. Reuters reported Monday.
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The extreme temperatures are caused by a “heat dome” – a mass of high-pressure air that traps heat – located over western Europe. The continent has witnessed a similar phenomenon in May, which was also a historically hot month.
While it is difficult to link a single weather event solely to climate change, rising global temperatures had heat waves more frequent and more extremeshows the search. Since 1947, France has experienced 52 heat waves, including around 60% since 2000, according to Météo-France. During last month’s heat wave, climate change caused temperatures in Western Europe to rise about 2.5 degrees Celsius (4.5 degrees F) above normal, partly fueling the heat dome, researchers say. determined.
Other parts of Western Europe also reported high levels on Wednesday. Some areas of the UK have seen temperatures rise up to 36.0 degrees C (96.8 degrees F) and parts of Spain exceeds 38 degrees C (100 degrees F). The UK Met Office issued a ‘red’ extreme heat warning on Monday, apparently only on second time the agency has done so over the past five years.
This is breaking news and may be updated.
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