France reports 8,000 heat-related deaths
France recorded approximately 8,000 additional deaths during the periods of intense heat the country experienced since the start of summer 2026, according to an initial report from the French Public Health Agency. The third heatwave, which lasted from July 27 to August 20, was responsible for a 5% increase in deaths across the 79 affected regions, with about 817 more deaths than expected, although direct heat-related deaths have not yet been precisely identified. Additional data include 5,764 excess deaths between June 17 and July 2, 1,243 deaths between July 3 and 20, and 95 deaths during the peak heat from May 24 to 28. The vast majority of this increase occurred among people aged 75 and older, with around 751 additional deaths in this group. The Public Health Agency confirmed that summer 2026 was the hottest on record since monitoring began in 1900, surpassing the temperatures of the summers of 2003 and 2022. It also noted that climate change is increasing the likelihood of "intense, long-lasting, and rapidly spreading heatwaves."
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