Paris, France – French health authorities announced a shocking preliminary toll on Friday for the exceptional heatwave that struck the country in late June, revealing more than 2,025 additional deaths in just one week (from June 22 to 28). This figure is significantly higher than the normal rates recorded during the same period.
Scalable data
French Health Minister Stéphane Rest explained in media statements that these figures remain preliminary and not final, as they are based on only 60% of electronic death certificates. Paper death certificates are still being processed, which suggests the final toll will likely rise significantly in the coming weeks.
Reports indicate a sharp 91% increase in deaths within homes compared to the previous week. The minister described this as a sign of “the suffering of people living alone.” She therefore called for intensified solidarity efforts to protect the elderly and those in isolation who are unable to cope with the extreme temperatures.
Compared to the 2003 disaster
Despite the grim toll, the minister reassured the public that this wave—despite its severity—did not reach the levels of the historic 2003 disaster, which claimed nearly 15,000 lives. She attributed this difference to improved preparedness in nursing homes. These facilities are now better equipped and trained to handle such severe weather conditions. Initial analyses also indicated that the deaths were concentrated particularly among those over 45 years of age. Areas designated as “red alert” were the most affected.
The phenomenon of drowning and measures to confront it
In a related development, Minister for Sport and Youth Marina Ferrari announced that the number of drowning deaths since June 19 has exceeded 90. She also warned that the heatwave has driven many to swim in unsafe areas, exposing them to significant risks.
In response to this crisis, the French government has allocated €100 million to enable hospitals to upgrade their infrastructure. Between 6,000 and 10,000 air conditioning units are scheduled to be delivered to healthcare facilities in the coming days. These measures come as the French meteorological service anticipates another heatwave at the end of the weekend. This has therefore placed emergency systems on high alert.
The National Public Health Agency emphasized that these figures represent “excess deaths,” meaning they exceed the historical average for this time of year. This underscores the direct and indirect impact of extreme weather on public health, with expectations that such weather events will become more frequent due to global climate change.
