France logs hottest July since 1900, faces escalating wildfire threat

France experienced its hottest July since records began in 1900, with unprecedented temperatures, severe drought, and widespread wildfires underscoring the growing impact of extreme weather, the national weather agency Météo-France announced.

The average temperatures recorded during July 2026 surpassed previous highs set during the historic heatwaves of August 2003 and July 2006, French broadcaster BFMTV reports.

The month was also the third-driest ever recorded in France, with rainfall nearly 70% below normal. A 16-day heatwave that lasted from July 4 to July 19 ranked as the country's third-longest on record, trailing only similar episodes in 1983 and 2006.

Several temperature milestones were broken during the month. In Marignane, in the southern Bouches-du-Rhône department, temperatures climbed above 40 degrees Celsius for the first time on record, reaching 40.5°C (104.9°F) on July 8. Overnight temperatures also set a new national record, with the town of Vives in the Pyrénées-Orientales department recording a minimum of 30.6°C (87.1°F).

By the end of July, average soil moisture had fallen to its lowest level on record, reaching conditions typically seen in mid-August and comparable to those during France's severe 2022 drought.

The prolonged heat and lack of rainfall have placed increasing pressure on agriculture while creating ideal conditions for wildfires across much of the country.

On August 4, authorities placed 16 departments, primarily in southeastern France, under orange heatwave alerts. Twelve departments were also under orange warnings for a high risk of forest fires, with the Drôme and Var departments simultaneously facing both heatwave and wildfire alerts.

In the Var region, the Gros Bessillon wildfire remained contained after scorching about 1,800 hectares, although officials warned that flare-ups remained possible. Nearly 1,000 firefighters, supported by water-bombing aircraft and helicopters, continued to monitor the blaze.

Meanwhile, a separate wildfire in Bellegarde-en-Diois in the Drôme department had burned 110 hectares, with several hundred additional hectares considered at risk. Around 300 firefighters and multiple aircraft remained deployed.

Further west, the massive Gironde wildfire, which consumed approximately 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, while several campsites in Lège-Cap-Ferret have reopened following safety inspections.

Authorities cautioned that persistent high temperatures and exceptionally dry vegetation continue to leave large parts of the country vulnerable to new wildfires and the rekindling of existing blazes.

By Vafa Guliyeva