France records over 5,700 excess deaths in June heatwave

PARIS – France recorded 5,764 more deaths than usual during a record-breaking heatwave in June, the health authorities said on July 22, describing the excess mortality among people aged 15 and older as “unprecedented”.It was the highest excess mortality rate during a heatwave in France since a devastating episode of high temperatures in 2003, when 15,000 people died, they added.The extra deaths between June 17 and July 2 in 2026 were due to “all causes” – none yet clearly linked to the heat, Sante Public France said.By comparison, the country reported 5,722 excess fatalities linked to high temperatures between June and mid-September 2025.Of the excess deaths in June, around two-thirds were people aged 75 or older, while less than a fifth were aged 45 to 64.Half passed away in just three days from June 25 to 27.France in June recorded its hottest June since records began in 1947 with a heatwave that saw temperatures spike above 40 deg C in many places.The average temperatures on June 24 and 25, 2026, were the highest ever recorded in France, all months combined. AFP