In France, the July heat wave caused more than 1,200 deaths
The second heat wave in France, which swept across the country in July, resulted in 1,243 excess deaths. At the same time, this period proved to be less deadly than the heat wave that raged in June.
Taking into account the 1,243 excess deaths recorded from July 3 to 22 during the second heat wave of the summer of 2026—which proved to be less deadly than the one that occurred in late June— the preliminary total number of heat-related deaths this year has reached 7,300.
This spike in “all-cause” mortality—which includes 1,243 deaths that cannot yet be definitively linked to the heat— adds to the 5,764 excess deaths recorded from June 17 to 30, and the 300 deaths recorded to date during this year’s first heat wave, which occurred from May 24 to 28.
Le Figaro reports this, citing data from Public Health France.
We previously reported that France would again be hit by a heat wave reaching 40 degrees.
In France, officials estimate that the extreme heat may have caused more than 2,000 deaths in a single week. According to preliminary estimates, a significant number of fatalities may be directly linked to prolonged exposure to abnormally high temperatures.
