France is bracing for its fourth heatwave of the summer, an episode meteorologists say has no precedent, as a mass of hot air moving north from Spain and North Africa begins pushing temperatures toward 40 degrees from Wednesday.
Météo France forecaster Thibault Corouge told AFP the shift would arrive in two stages, starting Tuesday as warmer air moves in, before both minimum and maximum temperatures climb further on Wednesday, with highs potentially reaching 40 degrees. Meteorologist Yann Amice, tracking the episode alongside the European ECMWF model, described it as unfolding in two distinct pushes: an initial peak around July 29 and 30, followed by a brief easing, then a second, potentially more intense surge in early August, with little real relief in between.
Not every region will feel the same intensity, but forecasters say the trend line is unmistakable: France has never previously recorded four separate heatwave episodes within a single hot season. One partial silver lining, according to Corouge, is that lighter winds forecast for the coming days should help limit new wildfire outbreaks, though drier air moving in alongside the heat could make any fires that do start harder to contain.