France has officially recorded its hottest summer in history in 2026, joining Belgium, Britain, and Ireland in experiencing extreme heat. Europe remains the world's fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising at twice the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.
“We have just lived through the hottest summer ever recorded since measurements began in 1900,” French Environment Minister Monique Barbut said on Thursday at the presentation of the summer climate report. The country endured multiple severe heatwaves this year, including one in late June that set a new intensity record.
The heatwave led to an unprecedented 2,025 excess deaths, with a particular increase among people aged over 45, according to French Health Minister Stephanie Rist. Another heatwave stretched from late July into August, matching a 23-day record previously set in 1983, and brought major wildfires even to normally cooler and wetter regions.
According to Meteo France, the national weather agency, the summer was marked by very low rainfall, with a deficit of nearly 40%, making it the second driest since records began. The average temperature for summer 2026 was 24°C (75°F), which is 3.6°C above the normal average.
“The summer of 2026 will go down in history,” Barbut said. “The question we must now ask ourselves is how it will be remembered… As the first in a long series of summers that continue to break records, or as a moment when we rose to the challenge of adaptation and mitigation,” she added, referring to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu tasked Barbut in late July with presenting new measures to speed up implementation of France's national climate change adaptation plan. On Thursday, she promised conclusions “by the end of September,” including a five-year funding plan.
Millions across France, Italy, Spain, the UK, and elsewhere in Europe experienced extreme temperatures this summer. The heatwaves have raised concerns about public health, infrastructure, and the urgent need for climate action, as scientists warn that such events will become more frequent and severe.
Source: www.aljazeera.com