A heatwave that began in southern France is expected to continue through the weekend, according to a new forecast from Météo-France on Friday, September 4. While the northern half of the country will see temperatures more typical of summer—remaining below 30°C—southern regions will continue to experience very high temperatures. Météo-France predicts maximum temperatures of 32 to 36°C in the southwest and the central Rhône valley, with even higher readings of 36 to 39°C expected around the Mediterranean and the lower Rhône valley. Corsica is forecast to have temperatures between 30 and 35°C. The agency also noted that nights near the Mediterranean will remain very warm. By Sunday, the heat will extend to the northern regions of France, with temperatures expected to range from 30 to 32°C in areas like Brittany, Normandy, and Île-de-France. In the south, temperatures will slightly decrease but will still remain high. A cooling trend is anticipated to begin on Monday, starting from the western regions. However, Météo-France forecasts that much of the country will still experience temperatures between 25 and 32°C on Monday and Tuesday. In the southeast, however, the heat will persist, with temperatures expected to reach up to 35 to 37°C. According to Météo-France, heat events in late September are becoming more common and more intense due to climate change. The agency notes that France has experienced 54 heatwaves since 1947, with more than half of them occurring after 2010. These trends are linked to global warming driven by human activities. This summer saw an "unprecedented" number of heatwave days, with 53 days recorded, according to a recent seasonal report from Météo-France. This summer was marked by three distinct periods of unusually high temperatures between June and August. Météo-France CEO Virginie Schwarz highlighted during a press conference that the number of days exceeding 40°C in summer has significantly increased this year compared to a typical summer. She described the 53 heatwave days as "really very exceptional," noting the sharp increase compared to the previous record of 33 days in 2022. The agency’s report underscores the growing impact of climate change on France’s weather patterns, with heatwaves becoming more frequent and severe.