France heatwave claims 1,243 excess deaths in July

Nearly 5,800 excess deaths were recorded between June 17 and July 2, 2026.

Late May heatwave claimed around 300 excess deaths.

Last summer, 1,900 deaths were attributed to three heat waves with 5,700 heat-related deaths across the season.

Paris region was particularly affected, while Grand Est and Pays de la Loire also saw significant increases.

Southeast France and Corsica did not record excess mortality during the June heat wave.

Older populations were most affected.

A noticeable rise in deaths is seen among those aged 45 and above.

Guillaume Boulanger of Public Health France noted that specific studies of death certificates are needed to determine exact causes and profiles. Excess mortality figures cannot directly attribute individual deaths to high temperatures.

France is currently experiencing another August heat wave, particularly in the southeast.

A full human toll for summer 2026 will be published in September, with final assessments after further studies.

As written before, South Korea heatwave death toll climbed to 21.