Heatwave eases but Paris death toll hits 109 in 24 hours as drownings surge across France

Death toll far exceeds seasonal norms

Emergency medical services (SAMU) in Paris and its inner suburbs registered 109 deaths within 24 hours on Friday 26 June, a figure that dwarfs the usual 7 deaths recorded at the same time of year. The tally does not include in‑hospital fatalities and only counts people who died during SAMU interventions on public roads or at hospital arrival. The four SAMU dispatch centres covering Paris, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne also fielded 3,400 emergency calls during the same period, an 80% increase on the previous week. Responders logged 30 cardiorespiratory arrests and one patient presented with a body temperature of 43.7 °C.

Normal day (late June)7

26 June 2026109

Normal day (late June)

7 deaths

26 June 2026

109 deaths

Data from the article text

Drownings mount as people seek relief

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced that 74 people have drowned in France since the start of the heatwave on 18 June.

“These deaths occurred largely in unauthorised, unmonitored bodies of water: rivers, streams, ponds, particularly,”

he told Le Parisien, adding that drownings also happened in private swimming pools. He cited hydrocution, over‑activity and cardiac events as common factors.

One of the latest victims was a 21‑year‑old worker from Val‑d’Oise who disappeared while swimming in an unsupervised stretch of the Canal Saint‑Martin in Paris on Friday evening. His body was pulled from the water by bystanders near Quai de Valmy shortly before 21:00; paramedics were unable to revive him. Authorities had opened the canal to supervised bathing only a week earlier.

Healthcare system under intense strain

Accident and emergency departments in Paris recorded an “exceptionally high” influx on Friday, up 36% compared with a normal day and 8% higher than the previous day. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office said after a crisis‑unit meeting on Saturday morning that while the heat is subsiding, the health impact will last for days.

“While the heatwave is receding, the pressure on the healthcare system remains ahead of us: a high plateau will persist for several days due to health lag effects (dehydration, decompensations, delayed hospitalisations),”

the statement noted.

Funeral services overwhelmed

Both of Paris’s intra‑muros funeral homes, at Batignolles and Ménilmontant, reached capacity on Saturday morning, according to Elisabeth Charrier, general delegate of the National Funeral Federation. The strain mirrors the surge in deaths recorded by emergency services and points to the broader mortality impact that is still unfolding.

Heat alerts receding but danger remains

Météo‑France kept 35 departments on red heatwave alert on Saturday, with 34 others under orange alert for storms. The forecaster expects 24 departments to remain on red alert on Sunday, while the Paris region and much of the Grand Est will drop to orange from 06:00 Sunday. Officials nevertheless urge continued caution, especially around water.