France deaths rose by 30 percent during heatwave

France recorded a rise of nearly 30 percent in deaths during the week beginning 22 June, the peak of the country's record-breaking heatwave, the public health authority said on Friday.

Issued on: 03/07/2026 - 09:06Modified: 03/07/2026 - 10:16

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Santé Publique France, the national public health agency, said a new report found "an increase of 29.1 percent, corresponding to 2,025 additional deaths compared with the previous week", while noting the figure was probably "an underestimate".

The number of deaths rose by 62 percent in the Paris region during the week beginning 22 June, the report said. A similar increase was reported in the Pays de la Loire region.

Some French politicians have criticised what they called inadequate government measures to help the country cope with rising temperatures. The Greens filed a no-confidence motion against the government of Sebastien Lecornu on Thursday.

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Heatwave impact

France experienced a record-breaking heatwave in June that lasted around 11 days, with temperatures climbing above 40C in many places.

Around 15,000 people died during a severe heatwave in France in 2003, many of them elderly people living in nursing homes.

The June heatwave is considered more intense, but authorities said its consequences have been less severe.

"It will probably not be comparable," Health Minister Stephanie Rist said on Friday.

Nicolas Revel, director general of the Paris public hospital system, said he expected the death toll from the June heatwave to be lower than that of 2003, but "probably" higher than an episode last year that claimed 5,700 lives.

(with newswires)