5 min readJun 29, 2026 02:59 PM IST
First published on: Jun 29, 2026 at 02:08 PM IST
France recorded about 1,000 excess deaths during the peak of last week’s record-breaking heatwave, according to Santé publique France, the national public health agency. The estimate covers the period from June 24 and is expected to rise, news agency AP reported. Most of the victims were elderly people, living in areas placed under the country’s highest heat alerts.
Public Health France said more than 1,200 deaths were registered on June 24, followed by more than 1,400 deaths on each of the next two days, compared with the usual daily average of 900 to 1,000 deaths in April and May. The agency said about 85% of the excess deaths involved people aged 65 and older, with the sharpest increase seen in private homes, especially in the Paris region. The rise was most pronounced in departments under red heatwave warnings, which covered nearly three-quarters of mainland France at the height of the crisis, according to the agency.
A thermal blanket covers a window to help keep out the heat during a heatwave in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, west of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
WHO says Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that Europe is now the fastest-warming continent, heating at twice the global average, in comments cited by AP. Tedros said more than 150 million people were living under extreme heat and that more than 1,300 excess deaths had been recorded across Europe since June 21. He described heat stress as a “silent killer” and urged governments to strengthen preparedness, prevention, and health-system responses as climate change makes once-rare heatwaves increasingly common.
A rapid attribution study by the World Weather Attribution network found that the extreme heat and humidity seen across Europe last week would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change. The researchers said such conditions are now about 200 times more likely than they were two decades ago. News agency Reuters reported that scientists expect the health effects of the heatwave to continue for several days even after temperatures begin to ease.
A man cools off at a fountain during a heatwave in Saint Germain en Laye, west of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Record temperatures spread across central Europe
As temperatures began to ease in parts of western Europe, the heat shifted eastward. According to AP, Germany set a new national temperature record for the third day in a row, with 41.7°C measured in Neißemünde near the Polish border. Poland also recorded a new all-time high of 40.5°C, while the Czech Republic reported 41.9°C, breaking the previous national record set only a day earlier. Reuters said Hungary also logged record temperatures as more than 190 million Europeans endured conditions above 35°C.
Wildfires, storms, and transport disruptions deepen the crisis
The extreme heat triggered major wildfires in eastern and southwestern Germany, including in forests contaminated with unexploded World War II ammunition, complicating firefighting efforts, AP reported. Around 650 residents were evacuated from the village of Traisen as flames spread, while emergency crews responded to hundreds of heat-related medical calls in German cities.
In Berlin, police deployed water cannons near the Brandenburg Gate to cool residents and tourists as ambulance dispatches surged because of heat-related illnesses, according to AP. The heat also damaged roads, railway tracks, and power infrastructure. More than 600 passengers were evacuated from an overheated train traveling from Hamburg to Prague after storms brought down overhead power lines, and tram services in Leipzig were suspended because of heat-damaged tracks and switches.
Thunderstorms follow the scorching heat
As the heatwave weakened in western Europe, it gave way to severe thunderstorms across parts of the continent. In Sweden, lightning struck the Tosselilla Sommarland amusement park, injuring several people, including one woman who suffered serious injuries, according to AP. Denmark recorded more than 1,100 lightning strikes after setting new temperature records a day earlier, the agency reported. France recorded about 1,000 excess deaths during the peak of last week’s record-breaking heatwave, according to Santé publique France, the national public health agency.
Europe Heatwave (File Photo) 
A thermal blanket covers a window to help keep out the heat during a heatwave in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, west of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
A man cools off at a fountain during a heatwave in Saint Germain en Laye, west of Paris. (AP Photo/Michel Euler)
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