Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times,
France recorded more than 5,000 more deaths than normal during a heat wave that started on June 17, the country's public health agency said on July 22.
Children cool off under a misting system on the Champs Elysees during a severe heat wave in Paris, France, on July 14, 2026.Djoudi Hamani / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty ImagesPublic Health France estimated that 5,764 excess deaths from all causes occurred from June 17 to July 2. More than half took place between June 25 and June 27, and people aged 75 and older accounted for two-thirds of the estimated death toll.
Temperatures broke records on multiple days, including reaching nearly 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.8 degrees Celsius) in Saintes and 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40.1 degrees Celsius) in Paris, during the heat wave.
The excess mortality was higher in regions with higher temperatures, according to Public Health France. Nearly 2,000 were recorded in Île-de-France, which includes Paris.
The estimate was drawn from administrative data and did not include information on the cause of death.
"This excess mortality from all causes underscores the health impact linked to the remarkable intensity and duration of the population's exposure to heat across mainland France, although it did not reach the levels of 2003," Public Health France stated, referring to a heat wave that killed an estimated 14,802 people.
"These data constitute an initial estimate of the heat wave's impact on all-cause mort
