Europe heatwave 2026: France reports 30% rise in deaths as temperatures shatter records
Paris emerged as the worst-affected region, with the number of deaths in the capital rising by 62 per cent week on week, according to Public Health France's weekly report.
Parisians bathe in the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, the first day of opening for authorized bathing in the canal, while the capital is hit by hot weather. (AP)
Amid the ongoing record-breaking heatwave in Europe, the number of deaths recorded in France has increased by nearly 30 per cent, with the public health authority warning that the toll is expected to rise further in the coming days, The Guardian reported.
The updated French tally covers the week of June 22 to 28, the hottest week since the heatwave began last month. Public Health France said it had recorded 8,973 deaths so far for the week, while cautioning that the figures remain incomplete. The preliminary tally represents a 29.1 per cent increase, or 2,025 additional deaths, compared with the 6,948 deaths recorded during the previous week of June 15 to 21.
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Health authorities said the increase in deaths was recorded among people aged 45 and above, with those over 65 the worst affected.
The biggest rise in deaths occurred in homes, where fatalities nearly doubled within a week. Paris emerged as the worst-affected region, with the number of deaths in the capital rising by 62 per cent week on week, according to Public Health France’s weekly report.
The extreme heat has affected much of Europe. More than two-thirds of the continent experienced temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius during June, based on calculations using temperature data from the European Drought Observatory and population figures from the Joint Research Centre.
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Drought in Italy
In Italy, drought has left several waterways in a critical state, according to the Po River Basin Authority. Lake Maggiore, at the foot of the Alps, is only 48 per cent full, while dry sections of the Po riverbed have been exposed. In response, the Veneto region declared a state of emergency on Thursday.
Switzerland snow melt
The heatwave has also triggered a Glacier Loss Day on June 29 at Switzerland’s Rhône Glacier, causing excessive melting of snow that had accumulated over decades or even centuries. The resulting meltwater could have filled an Olympic-sized swimming pool every six seconds for two weeks, Matthias Huss, director of Glacier Monitoring Switzerland, told Reuters.
Elsewhere, all-time temperature records were broken in Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Czechia and Hungary. June temperature records were also set in the UK and Switzerland, while France’s nationwide average temperature reached an all-time high.
Parisians bathe in the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, the first day of opening for authorized bathing in the canal, while the capital is hit by hot weather. (AP) 
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