France Heatwave Death Toll Surges Past 5,000 as Health Agency Reveals New Figure Exceeds Estimate

France recorded 5,764 excess deaths during an early summer heatwave between 17 June and 2 July, according to updated figures released by the national public health agency on Wednesday, with the revised toll almost three times higher than an initial estimate published last month.

Santé Publique France said the figure represented a 36 per cent increase in mortality above the expected baseline during the period. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist had previously estimated that 2,025 excess deaths had occurred, but more complete mortality data revealed the full scale of the heatwave's impact.

The agency said the figures remain preliminary and cover deaths from all causes, including those not officially attributed to heat. Excess mortality is commonly used to assess the impact of extreme weather because high temperatures can worsen underlying medical conditions, particularly cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. France also recorded its hottest June since records began in 1947.

Revised Figures Reveal Scale of Heatwave

Santé Publique France described the excess mortality rate among people aged 15 and older as unprecedented for an early summer heatwave. The revised toll makes it France's deadliest early summer heatwave since the catastrophic 2003 event, when an estimated 15,000 people died.

More than half of the excess deaths were recorded over just three days, between 25 and 27 June, when temperatures exceeded 40C across several regions. Average temperatures on 24 and 25 June were the highest ever recorded nationwide.

Older Adults Most Affected

People aged 75 and over accounted for around two-thirds of the excess deaths, while fewer than one in five occurred among adults aged between 45 and 64. The provisional figure has already surpassed the 5,722 excess deaths recorded during the whole of last summer's heatwaves, illustrating how severe this year's early heatwave proved to be.

Officials cautioned that the figures could still be revised once death registrations from every region have been fully processed and the final mortality data are published at the end of the summer.

Heat and Wildfires Grip Southern Europe

The revised French figures were released as much of southern Europe continued to experience extreme heat and widespread wildfires.

In France, two firefighters died in their vehicle while responding to a blaze in the south-western Gironde region on Tuesday.

In the south-eastern Var department, more than 1,000 firefighters battled a wildfire that burned about 2,500 hectares and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate.

Authorities continued urging people to stay hydrated, avoid strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest part of the day and check on elderly or vulnerable neighbours as exceptionally high temperatures persisted.

Spain also continued to battle one of its largest recent wildfires in Guadalajara province north of Madrid, where about 32,000 hectares had burned and around 1,200 people were evacuated from dozens of villages.

Authorities said conditions had begun to stabilise, although the country's weather agency warned that wildfire danger remained very high as temperatures were expected to reach between 42C and 44C.

Wildfires also continued across parts of Italy, while Greece maintained heat warnings as temperatures climbed above 40C in several regions.

Scientists say human-driven climate change is making heatwaves more frequent, more intense and longer-lasting, creating conditions that make large wildfires more likely across Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent.