France recorded 'hottest summer ever': Environment minister

France recorded its hottest summer on record in 2026, with 53 days of extreme heat conditions and a record-breaking 23-day heat wave, according to Environment Minister Monique Barbut. The summer, which ran from June through August, was marked by intense heat waves, drought, and numerous wildfires, making it the most severe on record since measurements began in 1900.

Barbut highlighted the unprecedented number of heat wave days and the country's most extensive wildfire season in decades, with burned forest area six times higher than the average of the past 20 years. Human-made climate change has intensified and increased the frequency of such extreme weather events, according to scientists. The government responded by appointing Barbut to present new measures to expedite the implementation of France's national climate change adaptation plan, including a five-year funding plan by the end of September.