French Alpine glacier suffers one of worst melt seasons on record as heatwave grips Europe

Glaciers Lose Snow Cover

Glaciers in the French Alps and the Pyrenees are heading for one of their worst melt seasons on record after repeated heatwaves stripped away their protective snow cover months ahead of schedule.

Footage captured on Friday shows the Grande Motte glacier above the French ski resort of Tignes, with exposed ice and rocky terrain cutting through the partially snow-covered slopes.

“It’s really sad to see this. Even the ski resorts, […] some barely opened at all this winter. It’s heartbreaking to see the resorts where we spent our childhood slowly disappear because of what’s happening with the climate and the lack of snow,” commented Morgane, a tourist.

France’s Environment Ministry tracks the mass of four glaciers in the French Alps, Saint-Sorlin, Gebroulaz, Argentiere and the Mer de Glace, as well as the Ossoue glacier in the French Pyrenees.

Climate Change Speeds Up Melting

The five monitored glaciers have lost an average of 39 metres of water-equivalent thickness since 2001, with the ministry saying the decline has accelerated since 2003 as summer ice melt intensifies.

In the Pyrenees, the Ossoue glacier reportedly lost almost 50 metres of average thickness between 2001 and 2025. Its surface area shrank by 63 percent and its front retreated by 306 metres, according to the ministry.

The glacier melt is unfolding during a punishing summer across Europe. France recorded its hottest June since measurements began in 1900, with temperatures averaging 3.8 degrees Celsius above normal.

The extreme heat and dry conditions have also fuelled major wildfires in France, Spain and other parts of the continent. By July 29, almost 435,000 hectares had reportedly burned across the European Union, already exceeding the area recorded by the same point during 2025.

Article by Viory