France Logs 2,025 Excess Deaths in June Heatwave
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- Public Health France announced 2,025 excess deaths between June 22–28 — a 29% rise from the prior week — with the Paris region alone seeing a 62% increase; French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said the figure was likely an "underestimate."
- Belgium's health ministry recorded 1,222 excess deaths during the heatwave — 39% above normal and "unprecedented" — with nearly half among people aged 85 and over.
- The Netherlands reported approximately 480 excess deaths, most among people aged 80+, as temperatures reached nearly 40C in the country's south and east.
- France recorded its hottest country-wide average day ever on June 24, with Paris hitting almost 41C and half the nation under red heat alert.
- French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 72 people drowned since June 18, while PM Sebastien Lecornu reported nearly 7,000 wildfires and 8,700 hectares burned this summer, forcing ~3,000 evacuations near Sainte-Marie-la-Mer and Canet-en-Roussillon on Thursday.
- Météo-France issued red forest-fire alerts for Friday and Saturday, with 40C returning to southern France and 36–37C peaks forecast around Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Agen; Portugal declared a state of alert through Tuesday midnight as temperatures again exceed 40C.
Why it matters: Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average and failing to shield its oldest residents from heat events, with France, Belgium, and the Netherlands reporting thousands of excess deaths in a single week. France's health ministry concedes its 2,025 figure is an "underestimate," yet another 40C weekend is already bearing down on southern France, Portugal, and Spain — and nearly 7,000 wildfires have burned across France this summer.
