France Records 2,025 Excess Deaths in June Heatwave
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- Public Health France recorded 2,025 excess deaths between 22-28 June—nearly 30% above the prior week—with the Paris region seeing a 62% increase
- Health Minister Stéphanie Rist flagged a "clear increase" in deaths among those over 45 and said the figure was likely an "underestimate"
- France logged its hottest country-wide average day on 24 June, with Paris hitting almost 41C and half the nation under red heat alert
- Belgium recorded 1,222 excess deaths during the heatwave (39% above normal), with almost half among those aged 85 and over
- The Netherlands reported roughly 480 excess deaths—mostly among people aged 80+—after temperatures reached almost 40C
- Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 72 people drowned in France since 18 June, while PM Sebastien Lecornu reported nearly 7,000 fires and 8,700 hectares burned this summer
- Portugal declared a state of alert through midnight Tuesday with temperatures forecast above 40C; Spain placed southwestern areas on orange alert
Why it matters: Across three countries, 3,727 excess deaths were confirmed in one week—and France's health ministry called its own count an 'underestimate.' Europe is heating twice as fast as the global average, and with another heatwave forecast this weekend, hospitals, emergency services, and wildfire agencies face repeated shocks without respite.
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