France Climate – June 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, and Monaco
This month in numbers
France experienced its 2nd warmest June on record, with an average temperature of 21.37°C, a significant +4°C anomaly compared to the 1961–1990 baseline. This follows an exceptionally warm spring, making the April–June 2026 period the warmest on record for France, at 17.17°C, an anomaly of +2.8°C. Globally, June 2026 was the 3rd warmest on record for land temperatures, and the April–June period ranked as the 2nd warmest.
What changed
The past three months have seen France experiencing unprecedented warmth, with the April–June period ranking as the warmest on record. This trend places France significantly warmer than the European average for June, with its 1-month anomaly of +4.04°C being 1.48°C warmer than the group average. France was the 5th warmest country in Europe for June. This sustained heat has contributed to widespread drought conditions across the country.
What’s driving change?
The exceptional warmth in France is being driven by a combination of factors, including a strong El Niño event and jet stream shifts. The current weak El Niño, with a weekly Niño 3.4 SST anomaly of +1.8°C, is forecast to strengthen further into a strong El Niño throughout the remainder of 2026. El Niño typically brings warmer, drier conditions to the Mediterranean region during summer, amplifying heatwave and wildfire risks. Indeed, France has experienced an unusual concentration of wildfires recently, with one significant event active from July 3rd to July 9th, representing 100% of the annual total for the past 12 months, which is unusually high for the region and season. This is further exacerbated by the effect in cities like Paris, where buildings and roads absorb and re-emit heat, making urban areas even hotter. More information on extreme weather can be found at Extreme Weather tracker and on ENSO at ENSO.
Looking ahead
The strengthening El Niño is expected to continue influencing temperatures, with forecasts suggesting a high likelihood of continued warmer-than-average conditions for France in the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – France
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
France – Monthly Temperature – All Years
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Records – France
Our World in Data / NOAA - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Cfb · TemperateHow spring and autumn have shifted in France. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (12.4°C, from 1940–1969); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 14.2°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+2.5°C). The warmest month has shifted from Jul to Aug.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (rainfall: World Bank CCKP / CRU TS 4.08). Baseline: first 30 yrs on record. Recent: last 10 yrs on record.
Rainfall & Precipitation
Rainfall & Rain Days – Totals
Headline: anomaly vs the 1961–1990 mean. Small figure: the actual value. Rank: position in the full record (1st = highest ever). Record: highest (or lowest) value on record with its year.
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for France
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in France changing?
France is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for France come from?
Climate data for France comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the France climate data cover?
The France climate profile covers Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for France
How often is the France climate update refreshed?
The France climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.