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Local France
15-07-2025
- Climate
- Local France
In numbers: Are summers in France really getting hotter?
Picture your childhood, and you'll often see it bathed in sunshine - especially if you were lucky enough to have holidays in the south of France as a youngster. But in the 21st century discussion of sunny weather is just as likely to be accompanied by heatwave alerts and warnings of the risk to health. So is it the weather that has changed, or how we respond to it? Some things are hard to measure, but fortunately temperature isn't one of them. France has kept detailed national temperature records since 1900, which gives us a decent data to play with, and overall we can see that France is getting hotter. The temperatures Météo France, the French national weather forecaster, says : "Since 1900, the average temperature in France has warmed by 1.7C. "Every decade since 1970 has been warmer than the previous one. Over the last ten years, from 2011 to 2020, the rise has been +0.6C, the highest increase observed between two decades in France since 1900." Overall, 2022 was the hottest year on record in France, with a record 33 days meeting officially defined heatwave conditions: five in June and 14 in both July and August. Advertisement The average covers the entire year, but the data also shows that summers (which Météo France counts as running from June 1st to August 31st) are also getting hotter. The hottest summers recorded since 1900 are all recent ones - 2003, 2022, 2018, 2023 and 2019. The below chart shows the average summer temperature for the years 1900 to 2024 compared to the overall average for the century, with the summers below average in blue and those above average in red - the red bars are heavily clustered around the most recent years. Average summer temperatures from 1900 to 2024 compared to the average - with below average in blue and above average in red. Graphic: Meteo France But the summer isn't just about the average temperature, it's also about heatwaves. A heatwave is defined by Météo France as a period of several days when the temperature is above average for the region - that's the reason that the same temperature can be a 'heatwave' in one part of France, but not in another - it's about what is considered normal for that area. And the French data shows that heatwaves are becoming a lot more common. Between 1947 and 2024, Météo-France recorded 49 heatwaves - between 1947 and 1957, four heatwaves were recorded. This figure has increased five-fold over the last 10 years and between 2014 to 2024, 20 heatwaves were recorded. The heatwaves themselves are also happening earlier in the summer , and are recording higher temperatures - France's national record for the hottest day was set in 2019 (in Hérault which recorded 46C in the shade). That same year multiple local records were broken, including in Paris which recorded 42.6C. "We have observed, in a very well-documented manner, that heatwaves are occurring earlier and earlier, lasting longer and longer, and becoming more intense," Météo-France forecaster François Gourand told Franceinfo . Weather alerts But while it's beyond any reasonable doubt that France's summers are indeed getting hotter, there has also been a change in weather forecasting and the response. The impetus for this in France was the summer of 2003 - when a particularly severe and long-lasting heatwave led to the deaths of 15,000 people, many of them elderly people who died alone at home. This brought people face to face with the hard fact that heatwaves are not simply uncomfortable - they can be fatal. Advertisement Stung into action, local and national government began seriously improving their heatwave plans - now every authority has plans to protect the vulnerable in hot weather, including 'cool rooms' open to the public and a register of people who might be at risk in a heatwave, who can request check-ups. In urban areas, leaders got serious about installing drinking water points, cool air misters and access to shady and air conditioned spaces. Since 2003 there have been heatwaves that have lasted longer and have recorded higher temperatures - but that huge death toll has never been repeated, thanks in large part to the warnings and protective measures deployed. Heatwaves do still kill though - in 2023 (France's fourth hottest summer on record) 400 people died during in a two-week heatwave in August. Overall 5,000 excess deaths were recorded between June 1st and September 15th 2023, of which 1,500 were attributed to the heat. READ ALSO : Explained: How dangerous are French heatwaves?✎ Météo France has also developed its traffic light weather warning system so that heatwave risks are graded from green (no risk) through yellow and orange to red, the highest alert level which means a possible danger to life . Advertisement When a red alert is issued certain emergency plans swing into place and local authorities also get extra powers to do things like cancel large public events if they decide it is necessary. Heatwaves don't just make it hot though - they also increase the risk of drought and wildfire. Since 2022 - France's worst year on record for wildfires when 72,000 hectares (an area seven times the size of Paris) burned - Météo France also issues a daily wildfire risk map during the summer, in which places are graded based on their risk. As with the weather map, once a red alert is in place local authorities get the power to do things like close forests and national parks or cancel fireworks displays. READ ALSO : Is France ready for a summer of increasingly severe wildfires?✎ You can expect widespread news coverage when red warnings for either heatwave or wildfires are issued. So yes, you're likely to see more media coverage around the negative effects of heat - but French summers are definitely getting hotter.
Local France
11-07-2025
- Climate
- Local France
MAP: Which parts of France suffer the most wildfires
Between 2006 and 2024, more than 50,000 wildfires were recorded in France, according to official data – including more than 17,000 blazes that destroyed more than half-a-hectare of land. Last week, wildfires around France's second city Marseille destroyed or severely damaged dozens of houses and turned cars into blackened shells – and forced the closure of the airport, train station and several major roads. A fire further west down the Mediterranean coast, in Narbonne, prompted the closure of the A9 – the main road link with Spain – and the evacuation of several villages. These are unlikely to be the last major fires of the summer due to tinder-dry conditions and further forecast heatwaves -. projections suggest that the number of wildfires could increase by 70 percent by 2050. READ ALSO Is France ready for a summer of increasingly severe wildfires? Advertisement Thankfully most fires are put out before they can spread due to an ever-increasing focus on monitoring wildfires. Grégory Allione, former head of the French firefighters' association and now an MP, said in an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien earlier this month that some 5,900 fires already this year, and 20 in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône on Monday alone. But where in France is most at risk of wildfires? READ ALSO How to check for wildfire alerts in France Data collected since 2006 – the first time wildfires were recorded at a national level – reveals that, in 18 years, a total of 50,193 wildfires have been recorded in France. Of these 17,148 burned more than 0.5 hectares of land, and they are getting increasingly close to areas of human habitation. Unsurprisingly, départements in the south of the country are the most commonly affected. The two départements that make up the island of Corsica reported the most fires - Haute-Corse and Corse du Sud recorded 4,908 fires and 4,601 respectively over that period. Bouches-du-Rhône (the département that contains Marseille) was the third most at-risk, recording 4,038 fires over the 18 years, followed by Gironde (including Bordeaux) with 3,430, Hérault (Montpellier) with 3,070 and Aude (Carcassonne and Narbonne) at 3,075. READ ALSO What to do if you see a wildfire in France The below map shows the départements that had the highest numbers of recorded wildfires that burned 0.5 acres or more. The general trend broadly corresponds with the fire risk maps published by Météo France. However the above map shows fires recorded over the last 18 years, while Météo France bases its maps on current conditions on the ground - in particular drought levels which create the parched vegetation needed for wildfires to spread. Advertisement During the summer, Météo France updates its wildfire risk may daily - you can find the latest here - below is the map as of July 11th. Wildfire risk map for July 11, 2025. Map: Meteo France READ ALSO : MAP: How to check for wildfire alerts in France✎ The Landiras fire in Gironde which consumed more than 12,500 hectares in July 2022 and 6,742 hectares the following month, remains the largest wildfire recorded in France. In total, 72,000 hectares across France, an area seven times the size of Paris, burned in the long, hot and dry summer of 2022. A key issue, firefighters say, is the development of land near forest areas for housing. Nearly 7,400 communities are located near forests and therefore in high-risk areas, according to reports, while rules on land clearance are not always properly enforced. READ ALSO How to protect your French property from wildfires
RTÉ News
08-07-2025
- Climate
- RTÉ News
Wildfire forces closure of France's Marseille airport
A wildfire that broke out near Marseille in southern France forced the closure of Marseille Provence airport, a spokesperson there said. Planes have not been taking off or landing since around midday and some flights have been diverted to Nice, Nimes and other regional airports, the spokesperson added. The fire that led to the temporary closure of the airport, which is located 27 kilometres northwest of Marseille, is being fanned by winds of up to 70 kilometres per hour. The fire could be smelled in the centre of Marseille, a resident said, with smoke covering parts of the city. A forest fire blazed in southern France, after it crept across an area the size of 2,000 rugby pitches of trees, causing an autoroute to Spain to close temporarily and residents to evacuate their homes. The fire, one of several in the area in recent days, started on the property of a winery south of the city of Narbonne yesterday afternoon, then spread rapidly due to wind and parched vegetation after a heatwave. More than 1,000 firefighters battled the flames overnight, but by the morning it had partially damaged 4,900 acres of land and was still going strong, local authorities said. Local official Christian Pouget said six homes had been partially affected, adding that "the fire has still not been brought under control". "The fire is spreading," the Marseille municipality said on social media site X. "Avoid all outdoor activities and do not block emergency access routes. Follow instructions and alert messages." In the village of Prat-de-Cest, trees were blackened or still on fire, while French weather service Meteo France said the risk of fires "remained high". Authorities closed the A9 autoroute to Spain, but said they were progressively reopening the route to traffic. Meteo France said this weekend that a heatwave that began on 19 June had officially ended on Friday, lasting in all 16 days - the same length as the country's deadly 2003 heatwave. That same day, however, the first major fires of the season broke out in the south. Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of the extreme heat that causes some forest fires. Greece shuts Acropolis for part of day as heat soars, bans outdoor work It comes as Greece shut the Acropolis for several hours, as the Mediterranean country endures its second major heatwave of the season, with temperatures set to soar as high as 41C. Last week, large parts of western Europe sweltered in a severe heatwave that left eight dead and triggered forest fires and health alerts across the region. With hot air and humidity worsening conditions, authorities ordered some businesses in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, and other areas on the mainland and southern Peloponnese peninsula, to limit outdoor work for employees in the afternoon. Builders, food delivery riders, couriers and shipyard workers are among those having to pause work from midday until 5pm to avoid heat stress, the labour ministry said. The heatwave conditions will continue until tomorrow, the Greek meteorological service said. Authorities in the wider Athens and other areas will be on alert for wildfires as gale-force winds are expected. Greece, which sits on Europe's southernmost edge, also had its warmest winter and summer last year on record, including a 16-day heatwave in July, the longest ever, according to scientists.
The Sun
08-07-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Forest fire blazes in southern France
NARBONNE: A forest fire blazed in southern France Tuesday, after it crept across an area the size of 2,000 rugby pitches of trees, causing an autoroute to Spain to close temporarily and residents to evacuate their homes. The fire, the latest of several in the area in recent days, started on the property of a winery south of the city of Narbonne on Monday afternoon, then spread rapidly due to wind and parched vegetation after a heatwave. More than 1,000 firefighters battled the flames overnight, but by the morning the inferno had partially damaged 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres) of land and was still going strong, local authorities said. Local official Christian Pouget said six homes had been partially affected. 'The fire has still not been brought under control,' he said. In the village of Prat-de-Cest on Tuesday morning, trees were blackened or still on fire. As she watched fire trucks drive to and fro, retiree Martine Bou, who did not give her age, recounted fleeing her home with her cats, tortoises and dog on Monday afternoon before returning. But her husband Frederic stayed all night to hose down the great pines on the other side of the road so the fire would not engulf their home. 'I've never seen anything like it. I have never lived next to such an enormous fire,' he told AFP, reporting flames dozens of metres (more than a hundred feet) high. French weather service Meteo France said the risk of fires remained high on Tuesday. Authorities closed the A9 autoroute to Spain, but on Tuesday morning they said they were progressively reopening the route to traffic. Meteo France said this weekend that a punishing heatwave that began on June 19 had officially ended on Friday, lasting in all 16 days -- the same length as the country's deadly 2003 heatwave. That same day, however, the first major fires of the season broke out in the south. Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the intensity, length and frequency of the extreme heat that causes some forest fires. – AFP
Qatar Tribune
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Qatar Tribune
Wildfires erupt across Mediterranean as heatwave worsens
Countries across the Mediterranean are battling fast-spreading wildfires and soaring temperatures as a heatwave sweeps through Southern Europe and parts of the Middle East, prompting evacuations and emergency alerts. Blazes broke out in Greece, Turkiye, France and Syria on Sunday, with several other nations on high alert as forecasters warned that the scorching weather would intensify in the coming days. From Spain to Italy, authorities urged residents to protect vulnerable people and avoid unnecessary travel during the region's first severe heatwave of the summer. Emergency teams and ambulances were stationed near popular tourist destinations, while meteorologists warned that extreme heat events – supercharged by climate change – are becoming more frequent and intense. In western Turkiye, wildfires erupted on Sunday in Izmir province, fanned by strong winds. Firefighters, supported by aircraft, fought to control the blaze. Local authorities said five neighbourhoods in the Seferihisar district were evacuated as a precaution. Turkish authorities arrested 10 suspects in relation to wildfires that broke out across the country over the past week, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Friday. Meanwhile, in Greece, more than 160 firefighters, 46 fire trucks and five aircraft were deployed to combat flames in southern Evia. The blaze, which began late on Friday, burned through forested areas and forced two villages to evacuate, officials said. Fires also broke out near Athens. France also saw wildfires break out in the Corbieres region of Aude in the southwest, where temperatures soared above 40C (104F). A campsite and a historic abbey were evacuated. Meteo France placed 84 of the country's 101 departments under orange-level heat alerts on Monday. In Spain, the national weather agency AEMET reported temperatures reaching 44C (111F) in parts of Extremadura and Andalusia. Portugal also faced extreme conditions, with the capital, Lisbon, under a red warning until Monday night. (Agencies)
