France saw warmest spring since 1900, says forecaster

France this year saw its warmest spring since measurements began in 1900, national forecaster Meteo-France said on Tuesday.

“With an average temperature of 13.8C (56.8F), spring 2026 is the warmest ever recorded,” the forecaster said, noting an anomaly of +1.7C (+3.1F) compared to seasonal norms.

The figure places spring 2026 ahead of previous records set in 2011 and 2020, according to the report covering March to May.

The season was marked by an unusually early and intense heat wave in late May, described as unprecedented for that time of year.

Temperatures rose to 15C (27F) above average across much of the country.

A heat dome over western Europe contributed to the conditions, with record-high temperatures recorded for the month of May in several locations.

On May 26, the national average temperature reached 24.9C (76.8F), the highest-ever recorded for that month.

In some areas, temperatures climbed above 37C (98.6F), including 37.8C (100F) in southwestern France.

Authorities also issued a heat alert in May for the first time since the system was introduced in 2004.

Meteo-France said such early and intense heat events are growing more frequent in recent years, in line with broader trends linked to climate change.