France records almost 8,000 excess deaths during 2026 heatwave season

According to Santé public France, France has experienced nearly 8,000 excess deaths since the end of May 2026, a figure that will likely rise as data collection continues and the full summer is accounted for. The monitoring period runs from 1 June to 15 September, covering three heatwaves, the third of which produced 817 additional deaths between 27 July and 20 August, a 5% increase over expectations. Earlier periods contributed 5,764 excess deaths from 17 June to 2 July, 1,243 from 3 to 20 July, and 95 during a brief heat spike from 24 to 28 May.

The surge predominantly affected people aged 75 and older, with 751 extra deaths in that cohort. Almost half of the excess mortality occurred over three days from 14 to 16 August, coinciding with the most intense temperatures and the widest geographic spread. Experts link the unprecedented, almost continuous heat to climate change and note that this summer is the hottest on record since 1900.