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Public Health France announced that deaths rose by 29 percent in the last week of June compared with the previous week, with the increase reaching 62 percent in the Paris region alone. The agency described the preliminary figure as likely an underestimate of the full toll. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said there had been a “clear increase” in deaths among those over 45.
The excess mortality comes after France experienced its hottest average day on record on June 24, when temperatures approached 41 degrees Celsius in Paris and half the country fell under a red heat alert. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez reported that 72 people had drowned since June 18 as many sought relief in water during the extreme conditions. Dutch authorities separately registered around 480 excess deaths last week, predominantly among those aged 80 and older in the warmer southern and eastern regions of the Netherlands.
Météo-France issued red alerts for forest fires in southern France, where the risk was deemed very high compared with typical summer levels. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu stated that nearly 7,000 fires had broken out since the beginning of the summer season, burning approximately 8,700 hectares and forcing the evacuation of nearly 3,000 residents near Sainte-Marie-la-Mer. The Iberian Peninsula also faced warnings, with Portugal maintaining a state of alert until Tuesday amid forecasts exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in places.
A building area of high pressure is expected to drive temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius in southern France and 36 to 37 degrees in areas around Bordeaux, Toulouse and Agen over the coming days, according to weather forecasts. Similar heat is predicted to extend into southern Britain, while Spain’s Aemet service warned of another potential heatwave. The Netherlands anticipates a temporary cooler period before any renewed warmth.
Copernicus Climate Change Service data shows that Europe is the fastest-warming continent, with temperatures rising at twice the global average rate. A World Weather Attribution assessment found that the current heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change. The group noted that fossil fuel emissions have rapidly intensified such events over recent decades.
The 2022 European heatwave resulted in more than 60,000 deaths across the continent, according to a World Weather Attribution study, while even the cooler following summer saw over 47,000 heat-related fatalities. The World Health Organization put the Europe-wide excess death toll at more than 1,300 since June 21, though subsequent national reports suggest the toll is higher. Health systems in multiple countries have reported increased emergency calls and hospital strain as a result.
