Paris enters unprecedented May heat streak as France experiences record-breaking temperatures
France recorded its hottest May day since records began on May 26, 2026, while temperatures climbed to 37.8°C (100°F) in southwestern parts of the country on May 28. Multiple stations across France set new all-time May temperature records this week as a prolonged heat dome pushed daytime temperatures into the upper 30s°C (upper 90s°F) and kept nighttime temperatures unusually high across much of the country.
Image credit: Climate Eye/Damien Rietz/Meteo France
A persistent heat dome that has been affecting much of western Europe since May 24 brought record-breaking heat across France this week.
May 26 was the hottest May day on record for France, with the national average temperature of 24.9°C (76.8°F). Temperatures continued to soar on May 28, reaching 37.8°C (100°F) in Angoulême-La Couronne in Charente, 37.6°C (99.7°F) in Narbonne in Aude, and 37.4°C (99.3°F) in Perpignan in Pyrénées-Orientales.
“Exceptional temperatures surpassing late May average temperatures by 15°C (59°F) or more are being recorded this week across most regions, bringing a stifling, heatwave-like atmosphere at times,” said Meteo France
“Such levels of heat had never before been measured in May since records began,” they added.
Additional station records for May included 36.1°C (97°F) in Niort, 36°C (96.8°F) in Bergerac, 35.7°C (96.3°F) in Mont-de-Marsan, 35.5°C (95.9°F) in Agen, 33°C (91.4°F) in Caen, and 32.1°C (89.8°F) in Calais. Numerous weather stations across the country exceeded previous May temperature records during the event.
Paris reached 33°C (91.4°F) at 17:00 local time on May 28, with temperatures remaining above 32°C (89.6°F) since May 23. Météo-France forecasts the streak to continue through May 30, producing an unprecedented sequence of eight consecutive May days above 30°C (86°F) in the capital.
Météo-France said the forecast streak would place the event among only three previously documented periods during which temperatures exceeded 32°C (89.6°F) for more than eight consecutive days in Paris records: from July 22 to August 2, 1947; from June 24 to July 7, 1976; and from August 3 to August 13, 2003.
Western France and the Île-de-France region also experienced exceptionally warm nighttime conditions, limiting overnight cooling during the event. Temperatures remained between 19°C and 23°C (66.2 to 73.4°F) in several areas during the early hours of May 28.
Cap Béar in Pyrénées-Orientales recorded a provisional nighttime minimum of 26.2°C (79.2°F), surpassing the previous May record of 23.4°C (74.1°F) set on May 29, 2001. Octeville-sur-Mer in Seine-Maritime registered 22°C (71.6°F), exceeding the previous May record of 19.8°C (67.6°F) established on May 26.
During the night of May 26 to 27, minimum temperatures reached 22.9°C (73.2°F) in Scillé and 22.8°C (73°F) in Longueville. Dinard recorded 22.1°C (71.8°F) during the night of May 25 to 26, compared with the previous May nighttime record of 16°C (60.8°F) set on May 30, 2018. Météo-France said the value represented the second-highest nighttime temperature ever recorded there across all months, behind only August 5, 2003.
Brest experienced its fourth consecutive day above 30°C (86°F) on May 28, a threshold previously reached only twice in approximately 80 years of observations, during August 1955 and June 1976.
French authorities linked the heat episode to seven deaths. Government spokesperson Maud Brégeon said five of the fatalities were associated with drownings during attempts to cool off, while two deaths occurred during athletic events held during the heatwave.
This comes just after the historic heatwave broke the all-time May temperature record at 13 locations in the UK on May 25, making it the hottest spring day on record for the country. Kew Gardens set the new record of 34.8°C (94.6°F), surpassing the previous record of 32.8°C (91°F).
At least 11 people died due to difficulties in open water across the UK during this record late-May heat episode. The fatalities include nine children and two adults.
References:
1 Unprecedented heat episode in May – Meteo France – May 28, 2025
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
From where did the heat, or source of this anomaly originate? Why?
Warm under clear skies overnight, far from the usual humidity-fest.
Europe and UK had persisting below-average surface temperatures at the event-onset since March and I recall excellent reporting of anomalous late-winter African and Gulf-state cold-associated events.
Not a Spanish plume. Blocked Atlantic contribution- why, where?
There was a long fetch from Africa that brought Saharan dust which depressed surface temperatures in UK and Europe in April for a remarkably-long about a week, is this another one of those, unusually, sans-dust and if so, why and how?
Mindful of magnetospheric coupling, compression, to our lower atmosphere part of this curiosity.
Some-other flow layer cut-off or weakening that enabled? Somewhat reminds presentationally of that CONUS event, was it March/April?
Recalling the late-season Jamaican hurricane. Late, so of course water warm but the way that post-tropical was still able to topple the Arctic as a Rossby; are there any atmospheric gross energy marker trends for Watchers, of which this European heat episode may be symptom?
In-short, has our lower atmosphere’s mobility behaviour changed? Follow the energy.
Reminded too now of those recent persistent PAC TC’s, we were muttering late-season and ENSO there but science demands we ask ‘why?’ to falsification, but first what was this European event?
SSTs to start?
The recent tornadic type storms in India, in any way similar in terms of unusual long-fetching involvement?
Gratitude and appreciation to Rishav and the editorial team, thank you.