France’s 2026 grain-maize yield is forecast to fall to 6.3 tonnes per hectare (2.81 short tons per acre), its lowest level since 1991, after repeated heatwaves and persistent drought damaged crops. Agreste estimates production, including seed maize, at 7.3 million tonnes (8 million short tons), nearly half the 2025 level, as grain-maize area fell 28% and yield declined 27%.
A tornado struck Pomas in the Aude department on August 24, 2026, injuring 39 people and damaging about 300 homes, according to the Aude prefecture. About 1 400 households remained without electricity at 08:00 LT (06:00 UTC) the following morning, while firefighters and specialist teams continued reconnaissance and building-safety operations
Massive wildfires continued to burn across southwestern Europe on Monday, July 27, as French and Spanish authorities prepared for another period of extreme heat expected later this week. More than 300 000 people have been displaced, while thousands of firefighters, aircraft and international emergency crews continue battling some of Europe’s largest wildfires. Officials warned that rising temperatures and critically dry vegetation could make containment efforts significantly more difficult.
French authorities expanded evacuation orders across the Cap-Ferret peninsula on July 24, 2026, after a rapidly spreading wildfire in Gironde breached a containment line overnight, prompting the activation of the national FR-Alert emergency warning system. More than 20 000 residents and tourists were initially evacuated before authorities ordered the evacuation of the entire peninsula as firefighters, supported by European assistance, continued efforts to contain the blaze.
Severe thunderstorms swept across France overnight into Friday, July 17, 2026, killing two people and leaving around 53 000 households without electricity. The storms brought strong winds, large hail and intense lightning to several regions of the country.
The Fontainebleau wildfire has more than doubled in size since Monday, burning at least 1 900 ha (4 696 acres) by Tuesday morning, July 14, as firefighters continued battling multiple active fire fronts and police expanded a suspected arson investigation following the arrest of two people.
A large wildfire in the historic Fontainebleau forest, about 70 km (43 miles) south of Paris, disrupted the A6 highway and high-speed rail services after burning more than 800 ha (1 980 acres) and prompting evacuations near exposed residential areas.
A prolonged heatwave continued across France on Monday, July 13, with 37 departments under red heatwave vigilance and another 39 under orange vigilance. Exceptionally warm nights, increasingly dry soils and a nationwide wildfire danger are expected to persist as the highest temperatures shift toward central and eastern parts of the country.
Western Europe recorded its warmest June on record in 2026, with an average temperature of 20.74°C (69.3°F), 3.06°C (5.51°F) above the 1991–2020 average, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S). The record-breaking month coincided with widespread heatwaves across western and central Europe that set national and local temperature records, while June ranked as the second-warmest globally in the ERA5 dataset.
France has recorded around 1 000 excess deaths since June 24, 2026 as an exceptional heatwave swept across the country, with 85% of the deaths involving people aged 65 and older, according to preliminary figures released by France’s Public Health Agency (SPF). The agency warned the data remain preliminary and are expected to increase as additional mortality reports are received.
