Heatwave in France: Météo France places 26 Departments on Orange Alert for this Thursday

Météo France has triggered orange heatwave vigilance in many departments for this Thursday 18th June 2026. But the extreme heat is only just beginning.

“At this point, the peak of this heatwave would be Monday 22nd June. This episode of very high heat will last”, meteorologist Yann Amice already warns d’news.fr. But from this Thursday, here we go: he will do it stifling heat in the center-east.

Values over 40°C sunday and Monday (or even Tuesday) are expected in several regions, and an avalanche of monthly temperature records should fall in France. So many reasons that justified the triggering of the orange “heatwave” vigilance this Thursday for many departments. The forecasts.

The list of 26 departments placed on orange heatwave alert this Thursday

In a first bulletin published Wednesday 17th June, 2026 afternoon, Météo France reported a slew of departments in the center-east and Île-de-France on orange alert. They were 26 this Thursday at 6 a.m. and are always at 4 p.m, when the weather report was last updated:

Ain
Allier
Aube
Cher
Côte d’Or
Doubs
Eure-et-loir
Jura
Loiret
Haute-marne
Nièvre
Puy-de-dôme
Rhône
Haute-saône
Saône-et-loire
Haute-savoie
Paris
Seine-et-marne
Yvelines
Yonne
Belfort territory
Essonne
Hauts-de-Seine
Seine-saint-denis
Val-de-marne
Val-d’oise

Severe thunderstorms expected Thursday and Friday

Furthermore, Météo France alerts d’a risk of violent storms, Thursday 18th June and Friday 19th June. Only Finistère, Corsica, the east and the former Languedoc-Roussillon should be spared according to Météo France.

In total, for Thursday, around sixty additional departments are placed on yellow alert for storms and/or heatwaves.

A heat wave which is only just beginning

As a reminder, Météo France retains two criteria to talk about a heat wave, thanks to its national thermal indicator (ITN), a daily average of both daytime and nighttime temperatures from 30 weather stations in mainland France.

This ITN must exceed 23.4°C for three consecutive days, and 25.3°C on one of these days. On May 26, during the historic heat episode, this indicator rose at 24.8°C, unprecedented level. And there meteorologists predict bases of around 28°C, 29°C for next Sunday and Monday ! Which reveals the magnitude from this episode.

Temperatures forecast in France this Thursday, June 18, 2026. (©Météo France)

Towards the activation of red vigilance?

“The mass of air placed on France will accumulate heat over the days”, warns Yann Amice. And red vigilance could even be triggered for this Sunday 21st June and Monday 22nd June.

This Thursday June, the heat will become very strong over a large central part of the country, with 34 to 38°C from the interior of the southwest to the center-east and the north-east, passing through the Centre-Val de Loire and the Paris Basin. And this heat will also become heavier from the west, and at this point there is a risk of isolated but potentially strong storms in the west of the country in particular.

This Thursday 18th June “only the northern margin of the country will remain outside the warm heart”, summarizes the meteorologist. In Bordeaux and the Gironde metropolitan area, peaks at 39-40°C will already be possible in an urban context. And on Friday June 20, the warm air will continue to increase and the air mass will become less and less humid. The hottest is therefore ahead of us.

The May 2026 episode particularly concerned the western and northwest regions. These could be (a little) more spared during this heat wave thanks to maritime entrances present throughout the week, but especially by the sea. In the regions of Centre-Val de Loire, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Burgundy-Franche-Comté and the Paris region will face intense dry heat, and an “oven” type feeling because the absence of humidity will accentuate dehydration”, warns Yann Amice.