A severe heatwave sweeping across Europe has led to around 1,000 excess deaths in France since Wednesday, June 24, 2026, as temperatures soared above 40°C.
Public Health France reported that the mortality spike predominantly affected regions under red heat alerts, including Île-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, Normandy, and Pays de la Loire.
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Elderly citizens were the most vulnerable, with individuals aged 65 or older accounting for 85 percent of the recorded fatalities.
"Since June 24, approximately 1,000 additional deaths (unconsolidated figures) have been observed compared to the deaths recorded in previous months," the agency stated.
More than 30 departments were placed under red heat alerts during the peak of the event.
France experienced its hottest day on record on Wednesday, with an average 24-hour temperature of 30°C.
Public Safety Measures and Tragedies
In response, Paris officials implemented several public safety measures over the weekend.
These included banning public alcohol consumption to reduce emergency callouts, postponing the city's Pride March, and closing the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre museum early.
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Despite warnings against unsupervised swimming, a man drowned in the Canal Saint-Martin on Friday night.
"We've said it before and we'll say it again: swimming outside the times when supervised swimming is permitted, and outside the supervised areas, is dangerous," wrote Emmanuel Grégoire, the mayor of Paris, on X.
The extreme weather also claimed the life of 21-year-old Ligue 2 footballer Kenzo Kies, who reportedly drowned in the Rhône River during the heatwave.
"En Avant Guingamp extends its deepest condolences to the family of Kenzo Kies and to all his loved ones, and offers them its full support during this difficult time," his club Guingamp added.
The climate crisis extended beyond France, with neighboring countries reporting unprecedented temperatures.
The United Kingdom recorded its hottest June day on Friday, with Santon Downham in Suffolk reaching 37.3°C.
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Spain and Germany also topped 40°C.
