The year 2025 is the fourth hottest year ever measured according to Météo France, behind 2022, 2023 and 2020.
France recorded in 2025 the fourth hottest year ever measured, behind 2022, 2023 and 2020, with a temperature above the seasonal normal one day out of two, Météo-France said this Thursday, January 15.
“With an average temperature of 14.0°C, the year 2025 ranks fourth among the hottest years ever recorded in France since measurements began in 1900,” writes Météo-France in its 2025 climate report. Thus the three hottest years in France have all occurred since 2020 and the 10 hottest years, after 2010, details the public establishment.
“Several exceptionally hot episodes followed one another during the year during which the temperature reached unprecedented levels for the period in many regions,” states Météo-France, taking the example of May, June, August, November and early December.
“There were few abnormally cold episodes”
The thermometer thus rose to 42.5°C in Angoulême on August 11, Toulouse experienced 9 days of intense heat (i.e. a temperature above 35°C) in June and Val-d’Isère, at 1,850 meters above sea level, recorded 25.4°C on September 19, explains Météo-France. Conversely, “the abnormally cold episodes were few in number and not very intense,” continues Météo-France in its report.
“Heat records were 10 times more numerous than cold records. Without climate change, we would record as many hot records as cold ones,” Météo-France wrote again.
Also highlighted in the report, soil drought, an episode of which “affected 30% of France in a lasting manner from May to August (4 months). A larger proportion of the territory was impacted, at least more occasionally”. At the global level, the European Copernicus Observatory and the American Berkeley Earth Institute on Wednesday placed the year 2025 in third place among the hottest years on record.
