France records 5,764 excess deaths during June-July heatwaves, health agency reports
Preliminary data show deaths rose nearly 65% in Paris and almost 50% in Centre-Val de Loire as hospitals and care homes strained.
- On Wednesday, French health authorities reported 5,764 excess deaths during a record-breaking June heatwave, the highest toll since the deadly 2003 heatwave that killed nearly 15,000.
- France experienced its hottest June since records began in 1947, with temperatures spiking above 40°C in many places across the country during the heatwave.
- Data shows two-thirds of fatalities involved individuals aged 75 or older, while half of all deaths occurred in just three days from June 25 to 27, representing 36% excess mortality.
- Funeral director Gautier Caton rented five refrigerated containers to store bodies at his Orleans funeral homes, which also accepted four bodies from overstretched firms in Paris.
- Former public-health agency head Francois Bourdillon warned France must adopt a multi-year strategy "to transform the country to deal with heat epidemics," citing neglected vulnerabilities in hospitals and care homes.
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The authorities of several countries updated the figures and multiplied the forecasts of a month ago. A new wave of extreme temperatures is expected from Monday, while fire consumes thousands of hectares in Spain and France.
The rate of drowning has increased slightly over the last two months, with a marked concentration of fatal accidents during heatwaves In France, 274 people, including 37 children and
While a new heat wave is expected on Tuesday, the consequences of the June heat wave continue to unfold. With nearly 6,000 more deaths, this episode has become the most deadly...
The intense heat wave in June is reflected in an over-mortality: in the Paris area alone, there were almost 2000 deaths more than statistically expected.
Persons over 75, the most affected with two thirds of the deceased
While France was facing a heat wave at the end of June 2026, health professionals were already expressing their concerns. Doctors, nurses and emergency services feared a heavy human impact, particularly among the most vulnerable populations.
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