Paris, July 3: France has reported a sharp rise in deaths during its record-breaking late June heatwave, with preliminary data showing 2,025 excess deaths in just one week — a nearly 30 percent increase compared to normal levels.
Public Health France said 8,973 deaths were registered nationwide between June 22 and 28, compared with 6,948 the previous week. The Paris region saw the steepest rise, with mortality surging by 62 percent, while Pays de la Loire also reported a significant spike.
Officials noted that the majority of victims were elderly and vulnerable groups, particularly those over 45 years of age living alone or in nursing homes. Deaths at home rose by 91 percent compared to the previous week, while fatalities in care homes increased by 37 percent and hospital deaths by nearly 20 percent.
Hospitals and funeral services in Paris reported capacity issues as heat-related cases overwhelmed facilities. Emergency wards treated patients for dehydration, heart attacks, kidney problems, and other complications linked to extreme temperatures.
Europe as a whole recorded more than 3,700 excess deaths during the same period, with Belgium and the Netherlands also severely affected. Scientists have linked the extreme temperatures to climate change, saying such events would have been virtually impossible without global warming.
Health Minister Stéphanie Rist stated that while the toll will be lower than the catastrophic 2003 heatwave that killed 15,000 people, it is expected to surpass the 2025 episode, which claimed 5,700 lives. Opposition Greens have filed a no-confidence motion against the government, accusing it of inadequate measures to protect citizens from rising temperatures.
