Heatwave: France sees more than 1,000 ‘excess deaths’ as Europe braces for record temperatures | Today’s news
As parts of Europe continue to experience an unprecedented heat wave, French health officials said on Sunday that 1,000 more people had died in the country than expected. “Since June 24, approximately 1,000 additional deaths (unconsolidated figures) have been observed compared to the deaths recorded in previous months,” Public Health France said in a statement.
The agency said areas under a red heat warning were particularly hard hit, and 85 percent of the deaths were among people aged 65 and over.
The sharpest increases, according to the agency, are for people dying at home, especially in the Ile-de-France region, which includes Paris and its suburbs.
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“This observation serves as a reminder of the need for solidarity measures towards people who are isolated or experience deep loneliness, even in highly urbanized areas,” the statement said.
The agency emphasized that the data is preliminary and likely to be an underestimate.
Record heat in France
The capital Paris and 36 other regions stretching from the center to the east and northeast remained in the extremely hot red zone on Saturday, down from Thursday’s peak of 72 regions under such warnings, authorities said.
The capital continued to feel unrelenting pressure on its hospitals, with nearly 3,000 people seeking care in public hospital emergency departments for the second day in a row, about a third more than usual.
The Public Hospitals Authority of Paris, AP-HP, said it had activated its emergency response plan in all 38 hospitals to cope. Phone calls to its medical dispatch centers are up nearly 80 percent compared to the same period in 2025, the company said.
Western, Central Europe under a heat wave
According to The Associated Press, several countries in western and central Europe have seen record high temperatures in recent days due to a heat wave.
Unusually high temperatures were also recorded in the Nordic countries, which are not known for steamy summers. The Danish Meteorological Institute reported a record 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in Odum, north of Aarhus – the hottest day since records began in 1874.
In Switzerland, a record 38.8 C was reached in the city of Basel.
The famous German autobahn was also flooded, where temperatures were expected to reach 40°C. At two locations outside Berlin, the A2 concrete cracked due to the high temperatures and the motorway had to be closed. Other highway damage was reported across the country, German daily Bild reported.
The Czech Republic also experienced the hottest day on record with 40.8 C in the northern town of Doksany. Forecasters said it could increase further.
In France, several cities in the east of the country recorded their highest temperatures on record on Saturday, some above 40C, even as the worst of the heat wave began to pass in some regions.
Meanwhile, there was some relief in the UK as temperatures began to drop after three days of record-breaking heat
Authorities in the UK have warned people to take extra care when swimming in unguarded areas after around 40 people died in France last week.
European heat wave has focused on climate change
A new study by World Weather Attribution, a European collaboration of scientists, announced on Friday that Europe’s record heat and humidity this week would not have been possible without climate change.
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A quick study found that heat would have been virtually impossible just five decades ago and is 200 times more likely today than 20 years ago.
Andre Correa do Lago, president of the UN climate talks known as COP30, said the heatwave “helped reinforce the perception of the urgency of the fight against climate change”.
“The fact that we live in this amazing heat in London is a strong argument, we have to agree that we have to intervene as soon as possible,” Lago told The Associated Press.
