Over 5,800 excess deaths recorded in France during the June heatwave

Published on

23/07/2026 - 6:00 GMT+2

Between 17 June and 2 July, 21,674 people died compared with 15,910 deaths that would normally have been expected over the same period, according to a bulletin published Wednesday by France's public health agency, Santé publique France. Unlike previous heatwaves, the excess mortality extended well beyond the oldest age groups.

The agency described the toll as the highest excess all-cause mortality recorded during a heatwave since 2003, although still below the 2003 heatwave that killed nearly 15,000 people in France.

June’s heatwave in Europe is exceptional not only because of early timing but also by its intensity and duration, which exposed nearly all of France’s population to extreme temperatures while schools and workplaces were still fully active.