July 2026 was the hottest month ever recorded in France since measurements began in 1900, national weather agency Meteo-France announced Tuesday.
The month surpassed the previous records set during the historic heat waves of August 2003 and July 2006, according to French broadcaster BFMTV.
July was also the country's third-driest on record, with a rainfall deficit of nearly 70%.
France experienced a 16-day heat wave from July 4 to 19. It was the country's third-longest recorded heat wave, behind the 23-day episode in 1983 and the 21-day heat wave of 2006.
Temperatures exceeded 40C for the first time on record in Marignane, in the southern Bouches-du-Rhone department, reaching 40.5C (104.9F) on July 8. That night, the temperature in Vives, in the Pyrenees-Orientales department, did not fall below 30.6C (87.08F), setting a new national record for the highest minimum temperature.
Average soil moisture fell to a record low by the end of the month, reaching levels normally observed in mid-August and comparable to those recorded during the severe drought of 2022.
The exceptionally hot and dry conditions have affected agriculture and contributed to the outbreak and spread of wildfires across the country.
Sixteen departments, mainly in southeastern France, were placed under orange heat wave warnings Tuesday. Twelve departments were also under orange alerts for a "high" risk of forest fires.
The Drome and Var departments, where fires remain active, were under both heat wave and wildfire warnings.
In the Var region, the Gros Bessillon fire remained contained after burning around 1,800 hectares (4,448 acres), although authorities warned that flare-ups were still possible. Around 1,000 firefighters remained deployed, supported by water-bombing aircraft and helicopters.
Another fire in Bellegarde-en-Diois in the Drome department had burned 110 hectares (272 acres), with several hundred hectares more at risk, according to local authorities. Around 300 firefighters and several aircraft were deployed.
A massive fire in Gironde, which burned around 42,000 hectares, has been contained but not fully extinguished.
Residents have begun returning to Le Porge, where 183 of the town's 240 homes were destroyed. Several campsites in Lege-Cap-Ferret were also authorized to reopen following safety assessments.
Authorities warned, however, that high temperatures and dry vegetation continued to create conditions favorable to new fires and flare-ups.
