On Monday 22 June 2026, the national average temperature reached 29.2 °C, a record for June. Météo-France placed 54 departments under red heatwave alert for Tuesday, affecting nearly 39 million people.
The heatwave led to the closure of 1,352 schools and collèges on Monday, while 1,800 others adjusted their schedules. Several absolute records were broken in western France, with 40.6 °C in Rennes, 40.9 °C in Angers and 41.9 °C in Bordeaux.
Thirteen people drowned between Saturday evening and Monday morning, according to the Sécurité civile. The night from Sunday to Monday was the hottest since 1945, with a national average of 21.96 °C.
Sébastien Lecornu will chair a second interministerial crisis unit on Tuesday. Health minister Stéphanie Rist said there was “no certainty on the day when temperatures will drop”.
