France Recorded More Than 7,300 Extra Deaths During Record-Breaking Heatwaves

France had more than 7,300 extra deaths this summer because of record-breaking heat waves, health officials announced on Wednesday. The country has been hit by three major heat waves since mid-June, adding up to 52 days of extreme heat. That is more heat wave days than France has ever seen since weather records began in 1947. Scientists say that human-driven climate change is making these dangerous heat events happen more often and last longer.

French health officials broke the total deaths into three separate time periods. About 300 extra deaths happened during a spell of high heat in late May. Then 5,764 extra deaths were recorded from June 17 to 30 during the first big heat wave. A third heat wave added 1,243 more deaths between July 2 and 22, bringing the summer total to 7,307.

Officials noted that the deaths were recorded across many different causes, so they cannot yet say for certain that heat caused each one. Final numbers are expected to be released in the autumn. What is clear is that older people were hit hardest. Nearly three-quarters of the extra deaths concern people aged 75 and over, though people aged 45 and older were also affected.

France's three heat waves came one right after another. The first lasted 14 days in June, the second lasted 16 days in July, and the third began in late July and went on for at least 22 days. Between these heat waves, France had only two short breaks — one lasting three days and another lasting eight days. Parts of the country are not built to handle extreme heat, and air conditioning is rare in many homes.

The summer of 2026 has already broken several records. On June 24 and 25, France saw its hottest days ever recorded on average across the whole country. A national temperature indicator — which combines daytime and nighttime readings from 30 weather stations — hit 30°C on those days, beating the previous record set in 2003. The heat wave that started in late July also became the second-longest ever recorded in France at 22 days, just one day shorter than a heat wave seen in July 1983.

The deadly summer of 2003 is still remembered as France's worst heat disaster. More than 15,000 people died that year, mostly during a two-week stretch in August. The 2003 heat wave remains the most severe ever recorded when looking at both its heat and how long it lasted. But 2026 has already surpassed 2003 in total heat wave days — 52 days compared to 33 in 2022 and 22 in 2003.

More than half of all the heat waves France has experienced since 1947 have happened after 2010. That trend worries scientists because it shows how quickly extreme heat is becoming more common. France is not alone in facing this problem. All of western Europe had its hottest start to summer ever in 2026, with heat waves causing deadly wildfires and widespread drought across the region. Experts say that reducing the burning of fossil fuels is key to slowing down this dangerous warming trend.