France is now in the grip of its fifth heatwave of the summer of 2026 - although sometimes it's hard to tell when one ended and the next one began. So when will this one peak?
On Tuesday, August 11th, 21 département in France are under an orange level warning for extreme heat as the latest canicule (heatwave) arrives. This will rise to 44 départements on Wednesday.
Temperatures are expected to reach 31C in Brest on Tuesday, 32C in Strasbourg, 33C in Marseille, 34C in Paris, 35C in Rennes and Lyon and 36C in Bordeaux.
🟠 Extension de la Vigilance Orange Canicule vers l'Ouest à compter de demain mardi 12h. 🌙 Les températures minimales atteignent environ 20 °C (voire plus localement). Pic probable de l'épisode : milieu de semaine. 📱 Soyez vigilants, restez informés : vigilance.meteofrance.fr/fr/
— Météo-France (@meteofrance.com) 10 August 2026 at 16:48
Once again, the west of the country is expected to bear the brunt of the heat, with temperatures above 35C in Pays de la Loire, Centre-Val de Loire, southern Brittany and Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
Orange level heat warnings for Tuesday. Map: Meteo France
Temperatures are expected to remain high going in to Wednesday, when the orange level heat warnings are extended to cover most of the country.
Orange level heat warnings for Wednesday. map: Meteo France
So when can we expect the latest heatwave to end?
In good news, it is not expected to be as long as the record-breaking heatwave in June, which lasted almost two weeks without a break.
In less good news, Météo France cannot say for certain when temperatures will fall, but the 'peak' is likely to be on Thursday.
The French forecaster said that "the likely peak of this episode will be towards the middle of the week, followed by a gradual fall in temperatures.
"Based on current predictions, the temperature will gradually fall over the weekend, with a possible return of storms in some areas."
READ ALSO: Drought forces water restrictions across nearly 70 percent of France
