France Records Warmest Spring on Record, Says Météo‑France

Overview

• Météo‑France published its seasonal analysis on Tuesday, June 2, reporting a mean spring temperature of 13.8°C, 1.7°C above the 1991–2020 normal and the highest for March–May since records began in 1900.
• The season ended with an exceptional late‑May heatwave driven by a high‑pressure ‘dôme de chaleur’ that trapped hot air from North Africa and broke many monthly temperature records across the country.
• May 2026 was the second‑warmest May on record, behind May 2022, but Météo‑France says no single absolute national temperature record (all months combined) was set during the episode.
• Spring precipitation ran about 30% below normal, with a very dry April that pushed soils from very wet early in the season to very dry by late May, raising risks for crops, water supplies and wildfires.
• Météo‑France and its climatologists, including Matthieu Sorel, frame the event as consistent with CO2‑driven warming and warn that earlier and more intense heatwaves are likely to become more frequent, testing preparedness measures for heat and drought.