France Records Second-Longest Heatwave in History
The current heatwave has lasted 22 days, surpassing those of 2006 and 2003, while the record is held by the summer of 1983 with 23 days. This year, a total of 52 heatwave days have been recorded.
The current heatwave has lasted 22 days, surpassing those of 2006 and 2003, while the record is held by the summer of 1983 with 23 days. This year, a total of 52 heatwave days have been recorded.
France officially recorded its second-longest heatwave since records began on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, according to the national meteorological service Météo-France. The current heatwave has lasted 22 days, surpassing the one from July 2006, which lasted 21 days, as reported by France Info, citing AFP.
The longest heatwave in French history remains that of the summer of 1983, when the country endured a full 23 days. The current heatwave is just one day short of tying that record. Météo-France stated in a press release that with a national temperature indicator (NTI) of 24.5°C for Tuesday, August 18, France is on its 22nd day of the heatwave, temporarily placing it second since 1947, when measurements began.
The heatwave began on July 28, 2026, and has had two distinct peaks of intensity: the first on July 29 and the second from August 12 to 14. Although no department in the country has been under a heatwave warning ("canicule") since Tuesday, the heatwave itself has not yet ended.
Météo-France distinguishes between the concept of a heatwave and an extreme heat warning. A heatwave begins when the NTI reaches or exceeds 25.3°C on a single day, and the average national temperature remains at or above 23.4°C for at least three consecutive days. It ends when the NTI falls below 23.4°C for at least three consecutive days or intermittently below 22.4°C.
Heat warnings (yellow, orange, or red) are issued based on the intensity of expected meteorological phenomena and potential health impacts, which is a separate criterion.
According to data from Le Monde, mainland France has experienced a total of 52 days of heatwave since mid-June 2026, more than in any year since 1947. The current August heatwave is the second longest ever recorded, and six days ago it also surpassed the one from 2003.
In terms of intensity, or the level of maximum temperatures reached, the heatwave from late June 2026 remains the strongest ever recorded in France. However, when considering the combined criteria of duration and intensity, August 2003 still holds the record as the most severe heatwave in the country's history.
A photograph of a dry field in Saint-Paul in the Gironde department, taken on August 19, 2026, bears witness to the consequences of prolonged heat. The photo is credited to Valerie Teppe and Hans Lucas for the AFP agency.
