France Records Hottest Summer Since 1900 as Heatwaves, Wildfires Surge

France recorded its hottest summer since nationwide measurements began in 1900, according to the country's summer climate report, which covers the meteorological summer from June through August. The season brought severe heatwaves, drought and large wildfires across the country. France's record follows those of Belgium and Britain, which also posted their hottest summers this year, as a scorching season gripped Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent.

France endured several severe heatwaves over the summer. One heatwave in late June set a new intensity record for the country. A second heatwave, stretching from late July into August, lasted 23 days, matching the record for France's longest heatwave, a mark previously set in 1983. Météo-France, the country's national weather service, said France recorded 53 days of heatwave conditions in total over the summer — what it called a “completely unprecedented number.”

The heat was accompanied by major wildfires across France during the same period. By the end of August, wildfires had burned six times more land area than the average of the past 20 years, according to the summer climate report.

The heatwaves proved deadly across Europe, with French authorities recording thousands of excess deaths over the summer. In Paris, where few homes have air conditioning, residents used fans or taped foil survival blankets over their windows to try to keep out the sun during the heatwaves. Schools were shuttered, and there was a rush on fans and air-conditioning units.

Scientists say human-made climate change has made extreme weather events, including heatwaves, more intense and more frequent.