France records hottest summer since 1900

France experienced its hottest summer on record in 2026, a season marked by relentless heatwaves, severe drought, and widespread wildfires, the country's environment minister announced on Thursday. Monique Barbut declared that the summer of 2026 was the hottest since national measurements began in 1900, surpassing the previous record set in 2003. Speaking at the presentation of the official summer climate report, which covers the months of June, July, and August, Barbut stated, "We have just lived through the hottest summer ever recorded since measurements began in 1900." Data from the national weather agency Meteo France confirmed the extreme conditions, reporting an average temperature of 24 degrees Celsius for the season, which is 3.6 degrees above the normal average. This surpasses the 2003 summer, when temperatures were 2.7 degrees above normal. The heat was accompanied by a historic lack of rainfall. Meteo France noted a precipitation deficit of nearly 40 percent, making the summer of 2026 the second driest on record.