PARIS, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- September 2026 was the second-hottest September in France since records began in 1900, the national weather service Meteo-France said on Friday.
France's average temperature for the month was 3.1 degrees Celsius above the 1991-2020 normal, surpassed only by September 2023, when the average temperature was 3.6 degrees Celsius above normal, Meteo-France said.
It was also the fourth consecutive month with a temperature anomaly of more than 3 degrees Celsius, the first time a streak has lasted more than three months, the weather service said.
This month was also the third-driest September on record, with rainfall across France nearly 70 percent below normal.
Meanwhile, sunshine was more than 30 percent above normal, making September 2026 the second-sunniest September on record, Meteo-France said.
The prolonged heat and drought have taken a toll on France's agriculture and broader economy. French Minister for Ecological Transition Monique Barbut said earlier that this summer's heatwaves could cost the French economy between 10 billion and 15 billion euros (11.23 billion to 16.85 billion U.S. dollars). ■