French record - July hottest month ever

 

TT

 

Published 14.23

 

Tourists shelter from the sun in Paris. Photo: Aurelien Morissard /AP/TT

July was the hottest month ever recorded in France since records began in 1900, according to Météo-France.

That is 3.8 degrees above the average temperature for the month. This broke previous records from the heat waves in August 2003 and July 2006.

The month was also the third driest July on record, according to the meteorological institute. Precipitation was almost 70 percent below average, which has led to parched soil and a very high risk of fire.

The extreme conditions have contributed to the country being hit by a record number of fires. The forest fire in Gironde in southwestern France, which destroyed 42,000 hectares, is the largest in the country since 1949.