Unseasonable Warmth Reaches “May-like” Levels
Southwestern France experienced a remarkable and unseasonable heatwave on Tuesday, February 24, with temperatures soaring above 25°C and approaching 30°C. National weather service Météo-France described the conditions as “worthy of a month of May,” noting that the “heat threshold” of 25°C was surpassed in multiple weather stations. The agency warned that temperatures, already high for the season, were set to climb further into Wednesday, reaching levels described as “sometimes remarkable for late February.”
Specific Records Shattered
Provisional data revealed extraordinary readings across the region. The town of Orthez, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, recorded a high of 28.3°C. This is the highest temperature ever registered in February since the local station opened in 1994, shattering the previous record of 27.1°C set in February 2020. Other notable highs included:
- Biarritz: 27°C (14 degrees above seasonal norms)
- Pau: 26°C
- Mont-de-Marsan: 25°C
- Toulouse: 22°C
The warmth was not confined to daytime peaks. Several stations also recorded their highest-ever minimum temperatures for February earlier in the day, including Beauvais (12.2°C) and Margny-lès-Compiègne (11.8°C).
A Clear Climate Change Signal
Météo-France contextualized this event within the broader pattern of global warming, noting that temperature rise in France is occurring faster than the global average due to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. The institute highlighted a significant shift in seasonal patterns: for reference stations with long-term data, the date when the 25°C threshold is first crossed each year is arriving progressively earlier.
In Paris, for example, this milestone occurred on average around May 6 between 1950 and 1970. Between 2000 and 2020, the average first occurrence had advanced to April 19—a stark illustration of the changing climate’s impact on seasonal norms.
