France experienced a significant rise in deaths during the peak of its record-breaking June heatwave, with the country’s public health authority reporting a sharp increase in mortality as extreme temperatures swept across much of the country.
According to Public Health France, the week beginning 22 June saw deaths increase by 29.1 per cent compared with the previous week.
The rise represents an estimated 2,025 additional deaths, although officials cautioned that the figure is likely to be an underestimate as data collection continues.
The impact was particularly severe in the Paris region, where deaths rose by 62 per cent during the same period.
A comparable increase was also recorded in the Pays de la Loire region, highlighting the widespread effects of the prolonged spell of extreme heat.
France endured around 11 consecutive days of exceptionally high temperatures in June, with thermometers exceeding 40°C in many parts of the country. The episode has been described as one of the most intense heatwaves ever recorded in France.
The surge in deaths has renewed political debate over the country’s preparedness for increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat.
Members of the Green Party have criticised the government’s response, arguing that existing measures were insufficient to protect vulnerable people.
On Thursday, the party submitted a motion of no confidence against the government led by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu.
Despite the sharp increase in mortality, health officials believe the overall human cost will remain below that of the devastating 2003 heatwave, when around 15,000 people died, many of them elderly residents in care homes.
Health Minister Stephanie Rist said, "The latest heatwave was unlikely to produce a death toll comparable with the 2003 disaster, despite its exceptional intensity.”
Nicolas Revel, Director General of the Paris public hospital system, also said that he expected the final number of deaths linked to the June heatwave to be lower than in 2003.
However, he warned that it would probably exceed the toll recorded during a major heatwave last year, which claimed around 5,700 lives.
Scientists have repeatedly warned that climate change is making heatwaves more frequent, longer-lasting and more intense across Europe, increasing the risks to public health and placing growing pressure on healthcare services during the summer months.
