France is currently in the grip of its fifth heatwave of the summer - but one weather channel predicts that this will be the last one for 2026.
Most of France was again on orange alert for extreme heat on Thursday, as temperatures soared across the country.
By 7am on Thursday temperatures had already reached 27.5C in Nice, 24.5C in Sète, 23.5C in Limoges and 23C in Rennes. Temperatures are predicted to reach 40C in the south west, 38C in Paris, 33C in the north-east and parts of Brittany.
Extreme heat weather warnings on Thursday August 13. Map: Meteo France
This heatwave is predicted to be mercifully short - temperatures will begin to gradually fall from Friday, although most of the country will still be hot, and then drop by several degrees over the weekend. Some areas are likely to experience storms.
But will this really be the last extreme heat event of the summer?
The weather channel La Chaine Météo believes so. “Our forecasts indicate a gradual but steady drop in temperatures next week,” the channel predicts, adding, “on a national scale, we may be experiencing the last major heatwave of the summer of 2026.”
There is a general consensus that temperatures will drop from Friday, and the following week (August 17th-23rd) will be cooler.
Whether this is truly the last heatwave of 2026, however, is less clear.
The French weather forecaster Météo France does not provide detailed forecasts more than 10 days in advance - it predicts that next week will be cooler, but after that will say only that the general trend for the summer is temperatures above seasonal norms.
Patrick Marlière, a meteorologist and consultant for Météo Climat, told Le Parisien: "We’re nearing the end of these periods of extreme heat, with a shift starting Sunday."
He added that it seems likely that temperatures for the rest of August will remain below the extremes.
But he cautioned: “Summer is ending, but heatwaves are still possible in September and October."
