The heat is not finished with France yet. After a cooler and more turbulent end to August, the mercury is set to climb sharply across parts of the country starting Thursday, September 3. Forecasters are warning of a notable late-summer spike, with temperatures potentially reaching 38°C in the southwest and threatening monthly records.
Southern Regions to Bear the Brunt of the Heat
According to Météo-France, the national weather service, the warmest conditions will develop from Thursday, with up to 35°C expected in the Languedoc region. The peak is forecast for Friday in the southwest, where temperatures could locally hit 37 to 38°C. This comes as meteorological autumn officially begins, making the episode unusually late in the season.
“We can describe this episode as remarkable,” said Adrien Warnan, a forecaster at Météo-France. In some southern areas, temperatures could exceed seasonal norms by more than 10°C. “We should be close to, or even slightly above, records for September,” he added.
Heat to Spread Eastward Over the Weekend
Over the weekend, the heat is expected to extend into parts of the Rhône Valley, including Lyon, where values of 36 to 37°C are not ruled out. Meanwhile, the northwest quarter of the country should remain cooler. The Channel coasts will be least affected, though regions such as Pays de la Loire, Centre, and Île-de-France could still see above-normal temperatures.
“In Paris, it is possible that we reach 30 or 31°C,” Warnan noted. In these areas, the deviation from seasonal norms could occasionally reach 5 to 8°C.
Not Yet a Heatwave, but Vigilance Possible
Despite the high temperatures, Météo-France is not currently classifying the event as a heatwave. “We will probably be slightly below the thresholds,” Warnan explained. Intensity alone is not sufficient; duration and geographical extent also factor into the definition. “But we can speak of a heat episode,” he continued.
A yellow or orange heat alert is not excluded in the most exposed departments. “We will not necessarily be very far from heatwave thresholds,” Warnan said. The risk remains “low to moderate” for now and will depend on whether the high temperatures persist for at least three days.
A Fitting End to an Endless Summer
France experienced a similarly late heat episode in September 2023, though it affected different regions, with some central and eastern departments placed under orange alert. This year’s event is expected to target other territories. “It is still a notable episode, but in line with this endless summer, which started very early and risks ending a little late too,” Warnan concluded.
