France Records Over 7,300 Heat-Wave Deaths in Its Hottest Summer on Record

France has recorded more than 7,300 excess deaths linked to heat waves so far this year, health authorities said, as the country endures a record number of hot days since mid-June. Public health agency Sante publique France said it recorded 1,243 more deaths than usual between July 2 and 22, adding to 5,764 excess deaths from June 17 to 30 and 300 more during a hot spell in late May, for a total of 7,307.

Nearly three-quarters of the extra deaths concern people aged 75 and over, though the health ministry said all age groups from 45 upward were affected. The deaths are attributed to all causes and cannot yet be definitively linked to heat; final figures are expected in the fall.

France has been hit by three summer heat waves in quick succession: a 14-day spell in June, 16 days in July, and another lasting 22 days that began in late July and had not officially ended as of August 18. Together, these add up to a record 52 days of heat-wave conditions since mid-June, according to an analysis of data from national weather service Meteo-France, far exceeding the 33 heat-wave days recorded in 2022 and the 22 days seen in the deadly summer of 2003.

France has recorded more heat-wave days in 2026 than in any year since national records began in 1947, and June 24 and 25 were the hottest days ever recorded on average across mainland France, with the national temperature indicator reaching 30C (86F), surpassing the previous record set in 2003. The August 2003 heat wave, which contributed to more than 15,000 deaths that year, remains the most severe on record when combining duration and intensity.