France logs 7,300 excess deaths in record summer heatwave

France has recorded more than 7,300 excess deaths during the summer's repeated heatwaves, according to figures published by the national public health agency Santé publique France on Wednesday. The country has also endured a record 52 days of heatwaves since mid-June, according to an analysis of data from national weather service Météo-France by AFP.

France has been hit by three summer heatwaves in quick succession: a 14-day spell in June, 16 days in July, and another lasting 22 days that began in late July and has yet to be officially declared over as of August 18. Together they mean the country – parts of which are ill-equipped to deal with heat and where air-conditioning is scarce – has experienced more heatwave days than in any other year since records began in 1947.

According to Santé publique France, 1,243 excess deaths were recorded between July 2 and 22, adding to 5,764 excess deaths from June 17 to 30 and 300 during the first heatwave of the year in late May, for a total of 7,307. Nearly three-quarters of the extra deaths concern people aged 75 and over, though they affected all age groups from 45 and over, the health ministry said.

The agency stressed that the deaths were due to all causes and cannot yet be definitively attributed to the heat. Final figures are expected in the autumn. Sébastien Denys, director of health, environment and work at Santé publique France, said the July heatwave was less intense but remarkable for its duration and geographical extent, affecting 78 departments and about 80 percent of the population of mainland France. He noted a "fairly notable signal" among people dying at home, with some 80 percent of death certificates received during the period indicating deaths at home.

The number of heatwave days in 2026 far exceeds the 33 recorded in 2022 and the 22 days seen during the deadly summer of 2003, which contributed to more than 15,000 deaths. The country has had only two periods of respite, lasting three and eight days respectively, since the first heatwave began on June 17. The heatwave that began in late July is the second-longest recorded nationwide at 22 days, just short of the 23-day heatwave in July 1983. More than half of the 54 heatwaves France has experienced since 1947 have occurred since 2010, according to Météo-France, which defines a national heatwave as a period lasting several days during which temperatures are significantly higher than normal.

Beyond France, western Europe experienced its hottest start to summer on record, with recurring heatwaves in June and July causing widespread drought and devastating wildfires fuelled by global warming. June 24 and 25 were the hottest days ever recorded on average across mainland France, with the national temperature indicator reaching 30°C.

Drownings surge linked to heatwaves

Separately, France has recorded 301 drownings since June 19, a 14% increase compared to the summer of 2025, according to Sports and Youth Minister Marina Ferrari. Speaking to France Inter radio, Ferrari called the number a "tragic toll" and said the increase was "in line with the repeated heatwaves" that have hit many European countries – a phenomenon experts say is driven by human-caused climate change.

Ferrari said many deadly accidents occurred in areas that are not authorised or supervised for swimming, including open water and canals. She also warned that sudden immersion in colder water on a hot day could cause shock, and in some cases "people can also exceed their physical capabilities." On July 15, she had given an initial summer drownings toll of 142 deaths.

Broader European impact

Europe-wide, at least 30,000 excess deaths occurred across the summer of heatwaves and drought, according to provisional figures. The EuroMomo monitoring platform estimates over 32,000 excess deaths between mid-July and mid-August. An AFP count of national tallies found 33,000 excess deaths or deaths directly linked to heat across eight countries: Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

The last week of June was the deadliest, with nearly 16,000 excess deaths, followed by about 8,000 in the first week of July, according to EuroMomo. Germany saw 14,000 deaths linked to heatwaves through August 9, a record since 2016, according to the Robert Koch Institute. Spain saw nearly 4,500 deaths blamed on heat between June 1 and August 19, and July was its joint-hottest since 1961. England saw 2,877 heat-related deaths in May and June heatwaves, threatening the 2022 total of 2,985. Belgium recorded 2,570 excess deaths between June 18 and July 17, the Netherlands 968 between June 22 and July 5, Austria 396 in June, and Portugal more than 600 between mid-June and the end of July.

People over 75 suffered the most from the heat in Germany and other European countries. Scientists have blamed the heatwaves and drought on man-made climate change, and the Copernicus climate service has noted that Europe is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average.