The Heatwave Returns after a Ten Day Respite, 16 Departments on Orange Alert

Ten days of respite, and the temperature starts to rise again: a fourth episode of heatwave, which should be less intense and lasting than the previous ones, sets in from this Wednesday in France, particularly in the South-West still plagued by a massive fire. Météo France places 16 departments on orange heatwave alert from midday, with a “strong heat peak” in Gironde and Landes.

Ten days of respite, and the mercury starts to rise again: a fourth heatwave episode, which should be less intense and lasting than the previous ones, will settle from Wednesday in France, particularly in the South-West still plagued by a massive fire.

Sixteen departments are placed on orange heatwave alert by Météo-France from noon, the time at which one “strong heat peak” is expected in Gironde and Landes, where temperatures could reach 42°C locally, according to the meteorological organization.

This rise in temperatures in the South-West will then become widespread in the afternoon over a large part of the territory, mainly in Rhône-Alpes and in several neighboring departments.

Fourth heatwave episode

This is the fourth heatwave of 2026 in France. The last, third longest ever measured in the country and which began on the 4th July 4 and ended around ten days ago, on July 19th.

On Wednesday, the intense heat arriving in the South-West returns in a “particularly difficult context ” according to Météo-France: Gironde is still fighting against a devastating megafire which has so far burned nearly 42,000 hectares and led to the evacuation of 220,000 people, and the fire in the Landes, ” fixed “after having covered 3,600 hectares, can still resume, according to the authorities.

Météo-France is therefore calling for one “special vigilance” for these two departments, which should however downgrade to yellow alert early Thursday morning, thanks to a “clear” drop in temperatures in the west of France.

The night from Wednesday to Thursday will be hot, with 20 to 25 degrees in the departments on orange alert. Then the maximums for Thursday will still be between 36 and 40 degrees, or even higher at peak.

Extreme heat in the Center-East

The intense heat will persist in the Center-East, and could be punctuated Thursday and Friday by storms “the intensity of which remains uncertain” but who “should help cool the atmosphere”.

“The duration of this episode will be specified in the coming days”, indicated Météo-France, while La Chaîne Météo estimates for its part that this new heat wave “ will be less intense and less durable than the previous ones.

At the height of the last heat wave in July, the National Thermal Indicator (NTI), the country-wide average temperature measured at 30 reference stations, reached 28.1°C, or more than 7°C above seasonal norms.

Although particularly long, this heatwave episode was less intense than the one that stunned France from June 17 to 30, which was by far the most intense ever recorded. The first heatwave of the year, early, hit France between May 24 and 28.