France is preparing for its fifth heatwave of the year. French weather service
CEO Virginie Schwarz said the country has seen its hottest and longest summer on
record, with 53 days of extreme high temperatures so far. Severe drought and
wildfires have burned more than 96,000 hectares — over 2.5 times the area burned
in all of 2025 — disrupting the peak tourism season and destroying crops.
Ecology minister Monique Barbut estimated losses could exceed €15bn ($17.3bn);
the government plans to announce a package worth several hundred million euros
in the coming days to compensate farmers for drought- and heat-related crops
damage.
