France records 1,000 excess deaths during historic heatwave as morgues overflow

An exceptional heatwave grips Europe

For 11 days, a severe heatwave baked large parts of Europe, with France especially hard hit. Temperatures exceeded 40°C across multiple regions, and the national weather service Météo France classified the episode as the most intense ever recorded in the country. Record highs were set across central Europe: 41.9°C in the Czech Republic, 41.7°C in Germany, 40.5°C in Poland and 40.5°C in Slovakia.

A mounting death toll

Provisional data from Santé publique France shows about 1,000 excess deaths since 24 June, compared with the daily average of 900 to 1,000 deaths in April and May. On the hottest days (24 and 25 June) daily deaths surged to over 1,400. Health minister Stéphanie Rist warned the number was higher than normal, and epidemiologist Basile Chaix of Inserm told AFP that the summer toll could reach closer to 7,000 than 1,000.

We will be closer to 7,000 than to a thousand.

An estimated 85% of the victims were aged 65 or older. However, all age groups were affected, including a 25-year-old man who died of hyperthermia inside a tram near Strasbourg. Drownings also spiked as people sought relief in open water: at least 40 drownings in France and 17 in Poland on a single day.

Health services and mortuaries under strain

Hospitals activated emergency white plans and emergency consultations rose 20% overall, peaking at 40% on the hottest days, according to interior minister Laurent Nuñez. Mortuaries were pushed to the brink: the national federation of funeral services reported a 66% occupancy rate, up from the usual 30 to 45%. In central Paris, the only two funeral homes have been operating above capacity since Friday, forcing families to travel to the suburbs to say goodbye.

Health centers have recorded 20% more interventions and consultations.

Government response faces scrutiny

As the human toll became apparent, political criticism mounted from both left and right. Prime Minister Sébastian Lecornu defended the government's handling, saying official measures had worked well. Yet the heatwave has reignited debate over France's preparedness for increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves, which Météo France has long projected as a consequence of climate change.

Official measures have worked well.

Heatwave shifts east, Ukraine at risk

After battering France, the heatwave is now moving eastward. In Ukraine, already crippled by more than four years of war, emergency blackouts were imposed as temperatures surpassed 36°C, straining a fragile electricity grid. The Balkans were bracing for temperatures up to 40°C. Slovakia recorded its hottest day ever at 40.5°C.