Southern France Faces Unprecedented Heatwave with Multiple Departments Under Orange Alert

Southern France is currently experiencing a severe heatwave, prompting the issuance of orange heat alerts for seven departments on Saturday, September 5, according to Météo-France. The departments affected include Vaucluse, which joined six others already on alert: Ardèche, Aude, Drôme, Gard, Hérault, and Pyrénées-Orientales. This heatwave originates from the Iberian Peninsula and is expected to persist at least until Sunday across the southern half of the country.

Météo-France has warned that unprecedented temperature levels for September could be registered in some areas. While the southern regions endure this extreme heat, the northern half of France remains less impacted, with maximum temperatures staying below 35°C.

This summer has been the hottest on record in France since 1900, with a 24-hour average temperature of 24.0°C—3.6°C above seasonal norms. This surpasses previous heat records from 2003 and 2022. The maximum temperatures during this summer have reached levels never before seen, with an overall temperature anomaly of 4.8°C, exceeding the 3.3°C anomaly recorded in 2003.

Neighboring Spain has also faced intense heat, setting a record temperature of 45.7°C in El Granado, the highest of the year and matching the historic 2016 record at Montoro, Andalusia. Several Andalusian regions were placed under red heatwave alerts—the highest level—for several hours on Thursday, marking the first such September activation since 2007. Moreover, July 2026 has been officially recognized as Spain's hottest month ever, tying with July 2022.

The heatwave's devastating span over this summer in France included fifty-three heatwave days characterized by three separate waves of abnormally high temperatures between June and August. Experts stress that these unprecedented conditions underscore a severe climatic trend affecting the region.

As the orange alerts remain in force, local authorities urge residents, especially vulnerable groups, to take precautions while preparing for the heat’s continuation in southern France through the coming days.