Deaths in France surged 30% during hottest week of record June heatwave

The Guardian Health Friday 03 July 2026, 16:52 UTC By Jon Henley Europe correspondent and Elodie Clements 1 min read

Key Points

Public health authority says 2,025 excess deaths probably an underestimate and that it expects toll to rise furtherThe number of deaths recorded in France surged by nearly 30% during the hottest week of the record-breaking heatwave that scorched much of Europe last month, the public health authority has said, adding that it expected the toll to rise further. Public Health France said on Friday there had been “an increase of 29.1%, corresponding to 2,025 additional deaths compared with the...

Public health authority says 2,025 excess deaths probably an underestimate and that it expects toll to rise further

The number of deaths recorded in France surged by nearly 30% during the hottest week of the record-breaking heatwave that scorched much of Europe last month, the public health authority has said, adding that it expected the toll to rise further.

Public Health France said on Friday there had been “an increase of 29.1%, corresponding to 2,025 additional deaths compared with the previous week”. It said the figure was probably an underestimate and “mortality will rise further”.

France (LOCATION) Europe (LOCATION) Public Health (ORG)

Originally published by The Guardian Health Read original →

The number of deaths recorded in France surged by nearly 30% during the country's record-breaking heatwave, with health authorities reporting 2,025 additional deaths in just one week as extreme temperatures swept across much of Europe. According to France's Public Health Agency, there was a 29.1% increase in deaths during the week of 22-28 June, compared with the previous week. The agency said 8,973 deaths had been recorded for the period, up from 6,948 in the week of 15-21 June.

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Deaths in France surged 30% during hottest week of record June heatwave

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