July Was France's Hottest Month on Record, Says Weather Service
Meteo-France also reported it was the country's third driest July on record, with rainfall nearly 70% below average.
July was France's hottest month on record, the national weather service Meteo-France has said.
The month was also France's third driest July on record, with rainfall nearly 70% below average, leading to parched soil and increased risks of wildfires, Meteo-France added.
Europe has been gripped by successive heatwaves and a major drought this year, which scientists have attributed to human-caused climate change.
Tinderbox conditions, worsened by successive heatwaves in France since May, contributed last month to the spread of the largest wildfire to hit the country since 1949.
The blaze burnt 42,000 hectares (104,000 acres) — an area four times the size of Paris — after breaking out on July 22.
Dry soils allow fires to spread far more quickly once they start, and the combination of extreme heat and rainfall deficits has kept fire risk elevated across parts of the country.
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