France records its hottest summer since measurements began over a century ago

France has recorded its hottest summer since measurements began over a century ago, according to the environment ministerPARIS -- France recorded its hottest summer since measurements began more than a century ago, the environment minister said on Thursday.Firefighters relentlessly tackled wildfires throughout the summer, even in normally cooler and wetter regions in the north and Brittany, as France experienced one of its driest years ever. A historic fire devoured forests near Bordeaux and forced a quarter of a million people to evacuate from their homes. “We have experienced the hottest summer ever recorded since measurements began in 1900,” Environment Minister Monique Barbut said at a presentation of the climate report covering the months of June, July and August.According to national weather agency Meteo France, the summer of 2026 recorded an average temperature of 24 degrees Celsius (75.2 degrees Fahrenheit), covering day and nighttime. It's 3.6 C (6.5 F) above the normal average, and higher than in 2003, when temperatures were 2.7 C (4.9 F) above normal.Millions in France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe experienced extreme temperatures this summer....