July 2026 Hottest Month in French History
Average temperature of 24.9°C breaks records from 2003 and 2006, while a 70% rainfall deficit leads to critical soil conditions threatening agriculture and increasing fire risk.
Average temperature of 24.9°C breaks records from 2003 and 2006, while a 70% rainfall deficit leads to critical soil conditions threatening agriculture and increasing fire risk.
France's meteorological service Météo-France announced on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, that July this year was the hottest month since records began in 1900. With an average temperature of 24.9°C, all previous records were surpassed, including those from August 2003 (24.8°C) and July 2006 (24.4°C).
Météo-France highlights "a significant anomaly of +3.8°C compared to normal" for average temperatures, while maximum temperatures were as much as +5.2°C above usual values. Throughout the month, the mercury never dropped below normal.
Temperatures were further boosted by a heatwave that hit France from July 4 to 19, which Météo-France describes as "exceptional in duration". Although not as intense as the "historic" one in June, its length makes it particularly significant.
Alongside extreme heat, July 2026 also went down in history for severe drought. A rainfall deficit of nearly 70% was recorded, making it the third least rainy July in France since records began.
Météo-France warns that "soils are even drier than in 2022 or 2025 during the same period, reaching levels equivalent to the lowest ever recorded". This soil condition has serious implications for agriculture and significantly increases the risk of wildfires.
Although these figures pertain solely to France, they are part of a wider trend of extreme weather affecting Europe. Increasingly frequent and prolonged heatwaves, accompanied by severe droughts, have become a new reality for much of the continent, with direct impacts on food security, water resources, and the risk of forest fires.
