France Braces for Record‑Breaking Heatwave with Temperatures Poised to Reach 40°C

By Romain Gutkind with AFP

Published on 20/06/2026 – 10:48 GMT+2

A heatwave sweeping across France this week could produce conditions similar to those of August 2003, when extreme heat caused more than 14,800 deaths.

This year, municipalities such as Biarritz and Limoges are urging authorities to add vulnerable residents to local registers so they can stay in touch and ensure those individuals have what they need to cope with soaring temperatures.

The heat will continue across mainland France over the weekend. On Saturday, temperatures are expected to exceed 30 °C nationwide, with some areas possibly surpassing 40 °C on Sunday and into the following week.

Sixty departments are under an orange heat‑wave alert, affecting 41 million people.

In Paris, parks will remain open 24 hours a day and Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire has raised doubts about holding the Fête de la Musique festival scheduled for Sunday.

“The mix of alcohol, heat and proximity to water creates three risk factors that do not go well together,” he said on Friday evening. “We would like to eliminate at least one of them, but we will see how we can do that.”

The Paris police prefect, Patrice Faure, has asked for the cancellation of 11 outdoor sporting events planned for this weekend, and across the country schools and construction sites are adjusting their hours or closing altogether.

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