France prepares for another heat wave as western Europe sets new temperature record

France is preparing for its fifth heat wave alert of the season as temperatures across the country are expected to approach 40 C. This follows a period of consistently high temperatures that have persisted since May, marking an intense stretch of summer weather for the nation.

On a broader scale, an analysis indicates that regions inhabited by approximately 900 million people experienced their hottest July on record in 2026. These extreme conditions are occurring alongside severe droughts in other parts of the world, such as Colombia, where environmental challenges are being attributed to a combination of El Niño, global warming, and water resource management.