France records its hottest summer since measurements began over a century ago

France records its hottest summer since measurements began over a century ago 1 of 4 | A gate and villa are burned after wildfires in Cotignac, France, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, as drought conditions worsen following a heatwave and water shortages across much of France. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni) 2 of 4 | A pharmacy sign displays a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in Bordeaux, France, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, as a heatwave affects much of the country. (AP Photo/Caroline Blumberg) 3 of 4 | A woman splashes water on her face at a public fountain on a hot day in Bordeaux, France, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, as a heatwave affects much of the country. (AP Photo/Caroline Blumberg) 4 of 4 | Ash and scorched trees in a forest after a wildfire in Carces, France, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, as drought conditions worsen following a heatwave and water shortages across much of France. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni) Updated 5:50 PM MESZ, September 3, 2026 Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit PARIS (AP) — France recorded its hottest summer since measurements began more than a century ago, the environment minister said on Thursday. Firefighters relentlessly tackled wildfires throughout the summer, even in normally cooler and wetter regions in the north and Brittany, as France experienced one of its driest years ever. A historic fire devoured forests near Bordeaux and forced a quarter of a million people to evacuate from their homes. “We have experienced the hottest summer ever recorded since measurements began in 1900,” Environment Minister Monique Barbut said at a presentation of the climate report covering the months of June, July and August. According to national weather agency France" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="150411" data-entity-type="organization">Meteo France, the summer of 2026 recorded an average temperature of 24 degrees Celsius (75.2 degrees Fahrenheit), covering day and nighttime. It’s 3.6 C (6.5 F) above the normal average, and higher than in 2003, when temperatures were 2.7 C (4.9 F) above normal. Millions in France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe experienced extreme temperatures this summer. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing at twice the speed as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. France" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="150411" data-entity-type="organization">Meteo France, said the summer was marked by very low rainfall, with a deficit of nearly 40%, making it the second driest since records began. UK and France prepare for another heat wave as western Europe sets new temperature record 1 MIN READ UK firefighters out in force to tackle fires on hottest day of the year 1 MIN READ European countries battle multiple wildfires as record heat grips the continent 1 MIN READ There was an unprecedented number of heat wave days, with 53 days across three episodes throughout the season, far exceeding the summer of 2022 with 33 days. Record-breaking ocean temperatures across all of mainland France and Corsica’s coastlines were recorded, and very hot spells occurred outside the summer months, such as last May and early September, which are a sign of Climate Change, France" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="150411" data-entity-type="organization">Meteo France added.