Updated June 25: heatwave set to ease in west of France after storms
Record temperature may be broken for third consecutive day
New records for heat were set on June 24
Marc Bruxelle / Shutterstock
France’s record-breaking heatwave reached new heights yesterday, as the all-time temperature record rose for the second consecutive day.
The national average temperature reached 30C, beating the 29.8C on Tuesday (June 23). Prior to 2026, the record average temperature was 29.4C, recorded in 2003 and 2019.
Locally, dozens of all-time heat records were broken, including 43.7C in Fontenay (Vendée), 42.2C in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique, 42C in Vannes (Morbihan), 41.8C in Le Mans (Sarthe), 38.7C in Quimper (Finistère), and 39.8C in Lorient (Morbihan).
Overnight temperatures reached 27C in Paris and 27.5C in Bordeaux (Gironde).
Temperatures are expected to reach equally high in the daytime today, potentially leading to a new all-time heat record for the third-day running.
New meteorological studies predict the arrival of a third major heatwave in France next month, peaking around July 14.
72 departments on red alert
State forecaster Météo France has placed 72 departments on a red alert for heatwave conditions today, with 10 departments also facing tier-three orange warnings (the second highest alert level) for storms as of 08:00 this morning.
Storms will hit the western coast, Brittany, and the south-west towards the evening.
However, the forecaster believes that heatwave conditions are set to improve in the west due to the arrival of the storms, and is currently planning to drop red-alerts down to tier-three orange warnings in 11 departments: Finistère, Côtes d'Armor, Manche, Morbihan, Loire-Atlantique, Vendée, Charente-Maritime, Gironde, Landes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques and Hautes-Pyrénées.
At the same time, the heatwave is set to intensify in the north and in the south-east of the country.
Cooler air on the western coast may push temperatures up even further in the north, with the area seeing temperatures climb until the weekend.
Warnings both for storms and the heatwave are subject to change however, and residents are advised to check local weather reports and the Météo France website regularly.
A number of hospitals have raised emergency plans due to the heatwave, with an influx of patients expected related to the heatwave.
Official figures are yet to be released but body Santé publique France highlighted a “rare, if not unprecedented,” increase in heatwave-related hospital admissions from across all age groups.
Click to see articles on advice for cooling down, helping vulnerable people in France, and aiding pets and wild animals.
