Provisional figures indicate that extreme heat in June 2025 caused more than 2,000 excess deaths in Spain and France combined. Spain's state meteorological agency, Aemet, stated that June 2025 was the second-warmest June on record.

Data from the Spanish health ministry's MoMo system recorded 1,029 excess deaths attributable to high temperatures in June. The average temperature in June was 3.2C above the norm, according to Aemet. Aemet spokesperson Rubén del Campo said that temperatures were expected to rise further. "Temperatures will begin to rise over the weekend and we can't rule out another heatwave," Del Campo said.

France's public health agency reported approximately 1,000 additional deaths during a 10-day heatwave between June 24 and 28. SOS-Médecins recorded an 85% increase in deaths among people aged over 75 during the last two weeks of June. A total of 513 elderly people died during the week of June 22, compared with 278 the previous week, according to SOS-Médecins. Call-outs for people over 75, mainly for high temperature and anxiety, rose by 14%, and hospitalizations of people over 75 increased by 19%.

SOS-Médecins reported that call-outs for heatstroke increased by 480% across all age groups, while call-outs for dehydration increased by 315%. Marina Ferrari, the Sports and Youth Minister, stated that the number of deaths by drowning in France had risen to more than 90 since June 19. "It's a worrying figure. We have seen a decrease in recent days, so we can clearly see that this is also correlated with a heatwave where people are seeking relief from the heat," Ferrari said.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that three wildfires had scorched a combined area of 1,210 hectares in France. Two of these wildfires broke out on the western edge of Marseille. Nicolas Revel, the head of hospitals in the Paris area, stated he did not expect the excess death toll to match the 15,000 recorded in 2003. Revel added that he expected the number of heat-related deaths to be higher than the 5,700 recorded last year. Hundreds of people gathered at Lidl supermarkets in and around Paris to purchase air-conditioning units, which were available for as little as €179. Police were called to at least two Lidl stores as crowds attempted to buy air-cooling units.

Why It Matters

The provisional figures indicate a large number of excess deaths in Spain and France attributed to extreme heat in June 2025. This situation follows a period where Spain experienced its second-warmest June on record, with average temperatures substantially above historical norms. The reported increases in emergency calls, hospitalizations, and deaths among the elderly, alongside a rise in drownings and wildfires, illustrate a range of public health and safety challenges during the heatwave.

These events provide a comparison point to previous heat-related mortality figures in France, with Nicolas Revel not anticipating the death toll to reach 2003 levels but projecting it to exceed last year's figures. The public response, including police intervention at stores due to the demand for cooling units, further indicates the immediate impact of the heat on daily life and health precautions.