France recorded 5,764 excess deaths between June 17 and July 2, 2026. This excess mortality figure is the highest recorded from any heat wave in France since 2003.

The 5,764 excess deaths represented a 36% increase over the expected mortality rate for the period. Public Health France recorded 21,674 deaths from all causes in regions affected by the heat wave between June 17 and July 2. Statistical modeling based on previous years indicated an expected death toll of 15,910 for the affected regions during the same period.

France registered its hottest-ever days on June 24 and June 25, 2026, with a national average temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Peak temperatures soared well above 104 degrees Fahrenheit in many places in France during the heat wave. Just over half of the excess deaths occurred between June 25 and June 27.

People aged 75 and older accounted for about two-thirds of the excess mortality. The Paris region recorded 1,999 unexpected deaths, representing an 80% increase over expected levels. Nearly half of the deaths in the affected regions occurred in hospitals.

Approximately one-third of the deaths occurred at home. The remaining deaths occurred mostly in care homes for older people. There were 40 deaths from drowning recorded in France over one week in June.

"This unprecedented episode, characterized by its early onset, intensity, and duration, exposed nearly the entire population to extreme heat during a period when school and work activities were still in full swing," stated Public Health France. The public health agency noted that the heat wave exposed nearly the entire population to extreme heat while school and work activities were ongoing.

Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. Europe reported more than 10,000 excess deaths at the height of the heat wave. The World Health Organization announced that Europe reported more than 1,300 heat-related deaths in just over a week.

The 2003 heat wave in France caused an estimated 15,000 deaths. Two firefighters died in their vehicle in the Gironde region of France. A wildfire burned through 2,500 hectares in the Var department of France, forcing 400 people to flee.

The mortality toll from the 2026 heat wave marks the most severe impact on public health in France in more than two decades. The concentration of deaths among people aged 75 and older shows the vulnerability of elderly populations to extreme weather events. The geographic spread of excess mortality, including an 80% increase in the Paris region, demonstrates the widespread nature of the thermal stress.

The timing of the event, occurring while school and work activities remained in full swing, exposed a broad segment of the population to dangerous conditions. The regional data from Western Europe, which saw its hottest June on record, places the French event within a larger climatic pattern. The additional fatalities from drowning and wildfires illustrate the secondary hazards associated with prolonged high temperatures.