France reports about 5,700 excess deaths from June heatwave

France Recorded 5,000 Excess Deaths During Heat Wave: Officials Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times, France recorded more than 5,000 more deaths than normal during a heat wave that started on June 17, the country's public health agency said on July 22. Children cool off under a misting system on the Champs Elysees during a severe heat wave in Paris, France, on July 14, 2026.Djoudi Hamani / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images Public Health France estimated that 5,764 excess deaths from all causes occurred from June 17 to July 2. More than half took place between June 25 and June 27, and people aged 75 and older accounted for two-thirds of the estimated death toll. Temperatures broke records on multiple days, including reaching nearly 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.8 degrees Celsius) in Saintes and 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40.1 degrees Celsius) in Paris, during the heat wave. The excess mortality was higher in regions with higher temperatures, according to Public Health France. Nearly 2,000 were recorded in Île-de-France, which includes Paris. The estimate was drawn from administrative data and did not include information on the cause of death. "This excess mortality from all causes underscores the health impact linked to the remarkable intensity and duration of the population's exposure to heat across mainland France, although it did not reach the levels of 2003," Public Health France stated, referring to a heat wave that killed an estimated 14,802 people. "These data constitute an initial estimate of the heat wave's impact on all-cause mortality, compiled and published three weeks after the end of the heat wave, and are therefore preliminary. They will need to be confirmed by more detailed analyses of the end-of-summer monitoring period report in the autumn." EuroMOMO, a network that monitors mortality across participating European countries, recently reported that more than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe during the heat wave. Some 90 percent of the deceased were 65 years of age or older. The organization, which is supported by the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said that no other factors appeared present besides the extreme heat that would account for the spike in deaths. During the last week of June, France and Belgium logged very high excess mortality, the organization said, while Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands noted moderate excess mortality and England, Wales, Italy, and Germany reported low excess mortality. Sciensano, Belgium's public health institute, said recently that 1,747 more people died than expected during the heat wave, including some younger adults. Alpinists train in the shade on the side of an exposed portion of the Mer de Glace glacier during a Europe-wide summer heat wave near Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France, on June 27, 2026. Sean Gallup/Getty Images Tyler Durden Sun, 07/26/2026 - 10:30

France recorded 5,764 more deaths than usual during a record-breaking heatwave last month, health authorities have said, describing the excess mortality among people aged 15 and older as “unprecedented”.

France’s punishing early-summer heat took a deadly toll: health authorities say the country registered 5,764 more deaths than expected during last month’s record-breaking heatwave, calling the excess mortality among people aged 15 and older “unprecedented”. Officials said it marked France’s highest heatwave-related excess mortality since the catastrophic 2003 episode, when around 15,000 people died. France […]

France recorded over five thousand excess deaths during a recent heatwave. This extreme weather event caused the highest death toll since two thousand three. Elderly individuals accounted for two-thirds of the total fatalities recorded. Hospitals faced significant pressure from a surge in heat-related illnesses. Scientists link these intense heatwaves to human-induced climate change.

France has reportedly endured a historic heat wave between June 17 and July 2, with 5,764 excess deaths reported, marking its deadliest event since 2003.

The country’s health agency described the excess mortality among persons aged 15 years and above as ‘unprecedented’.