France Extends Heatwave Alert to 53 Departments Starting Friday
Train cancellations and event scrapping follow forecasts of 36 C to 40 C temperatures and possible monthly records in Paris and other regions.
- On Friday, French weather service Meteo-France extended its orange heatwave alert to 53 departments starting at noon, adding 27 new areas to the 26 already affected on Thursday afternoon.
- This heatwave, the second in France this spring, is expected to be "widespread, prolonged, and intense," Meteo-France said. The alert stretches from southwest to northeast across the country.
- Highs of 40 C are expected in western and central France, with 38 C near the French Riviera and Corsica. Paris and Ile-de-France forecast around 36 to 37 C, close to monthly records for June.
- State-Owned utility EDF warned Thursday that three nuclear plants face production curbs next week due to high temperatures on the Rhone and Garonne rivers. French SNCF canceled some trains.
- Temperatures will drop slightly on Saturday in the north and northwest before rising again through Tuesday. Several French municipalities canceled Fete de la Musique festivities scheduled for Sunday.
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France halts trains, adjusts school classes as heatwave hits 40°C
A new heatwave bracing much of France has led to the cancellation of dozens of train services and the adjustment or suspension of classes at several schools, as temperatures are forecast to reach 40°C in the coming days.
More than half of the departments are on a hot orange alert. The worst is to come: Météo-France forecasts a remarkable peak between Sunday and Tuesday. So, are we ready? Is it necessary, for example, to close the schools? We learned this Friday morning that 784 establishments have decided to set up their schedules. Today, in Hexagon, 20 to 30% of schools would need an energy renovation, i.e. 9,000 to 15,000 establishments for a total budget of 4…
Météo-France has placed 60 departments in orange alert for Saturday, and some may even switch to red alertness."Mercury reached 36 °C at 39 °C in daytime in many regions, peaks at 40 °C are likely in the West Central," warns the weather service.
Follow with this Friday 19 June 2026 the latest information about the new heat wave that breaks down on France
53 departments are concerned with the orange heatwave vigilance and 5 other departments for thunderstorms. Nearly 10 million people aged 60 or over, including 3.8 million 75 years of age or older on 1 January 2026, could be vulnerable audiences in the face of this episode announced as "extended, durable and intense".
The heatwave extends Friday in France, with now 53 departments concerned with orange vigilance, a situation that led several municipalities to cancel the Festival of Music scheduled Sunday
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