A meteorological summer that deceives. Despite rain in a whole northern part of France, rather cool temperatures in the North-West, relatively short and very localized heat waves in the South-East, the summer of 2024 was once again hotter than normal. According to Météo-France, which published its report on the June-July-August period on Monday, September 2, the average temperature was 0.7 °C higher than that of the 1991-2020 period (+ 0.6 °C in July; + 1.5 °C in August). A milder season than the three hottest summers measured (2003, + 2.7 °C; 2022, + 2.3 °C and 2018, + 1.5 °C) but which remains “in the trajectories of the 21st centurye century “according to Christine Berne, climatologist at Météo-France.
“Summer 2024 is the third consecutive summer above seasonal normsnotes the French institute which noted two heat waves, one from July 29 to August 2 and another from August 6 to 13. Before 1989, there was an average of one heat wave every five years in our country. Since 2000, they have come back almost every year.
After the four heat waves of 2022, including a particularly early one in June, and the very late heat wave of August 2023, the summer of 2024 was less extreme, being “only” the eighth hottest since records began (all were measured in the 21st century).e century). No records were broken and an entire northwest quarter was spared from the high temperatures.
“Tropical” nights
The regions south of the Loire and the east of the country were particularly affected. The second heatwave began on 6 August in the South-East and continued until 14 August, with temperatures 2 to 4°C above average.
The summer of 2024 in Corsica and the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region ranks respectively as the fourth and sixth warmest since records began across the country in 1947. The July-August period was the second warmest in Nice, behind 2022 and ahead of 2003. The surface temperature of the water between Corsica and the continent even locally exceeded 30°C on August 5.
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Several indicators monitored by climatologists were nevertheless worrying. Nearly 70% of France experienced at least one night during the summer « tropical »with a night temperature above 20°C. “This is a proportion of the territory that is broadly similar to the summers of the 21st centurye century, but much superior to those of the 20the century “indicates Météo-France.
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