Record May heat puts France’s climate preparations to the test as heat dome swelters Europe

# Temizlenmiş Haber Metni France has witnessed its hottest May day on record, as it braces for even more exceptional heat. The country's weather agency Météo France declared yesterday that new monthly highs have been logged at 352 weather stations, mainly in the west, with the highest temperature of 37.1°C registered near Hossegor, close to Biarritz. Climate scientists say the 'unprecedented' event has a one in 1,000 chance of happening at this time of the year, based on records dating back to 1979. Forecasters warn the country will continue to swelter in the coming days due to being trapped under a "highly anomalous and powerful" heat dome – an atmospheric pattern that locks in heatwaves and is becoming more common due to human-caused climate change. Maximum daytime temperatures are slated to hit a scorching 35°C in Nantes today (26 May), while Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, and Bordeaux will reach 34°C. Even northern cities like Lille will experience maximum temperatures of 30°C. The heatwave, which has already been potentially linked to multiple deaths, including a 53-year-old runner who died on Sunday in a Paris race, has sounded the alarm for what France can expect as it heads into summer. Last year, France was subject to a slew of heatwaves, with temperatures climbing up to 40C in parts of the country. Dozens of departments were placed under orange alert, while Aude suffered one of France's worst wildfires in the past 50 years – fuelled by the hot, dry conditions. 2025 was the European Union's worst ever year for wildfires. According to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), France experienced above-average conditions throughout the 2025 summer period, with most of the country undergoing 15 more 'summer days' than average. This is where the maximum air temperature is at least 25°C. Southwestern France also saw some of the largest anomalies in intense heat, with temperatures rising around 6°C above the average seasonal maximum.