More than two thousand people died in France due to extreme heat

In France, abnormally high temperatures that set in at the end of June led to a noticeable increase in the number of deaths. According to preliminary data from the country's Ministry of Health, over two thousand fatalities were recorded in just one week from June 22 to 28.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to foreign media, French Minister of Health Stéphanie Rist stated that the current figure is approximately 2,025 deceased. She emphasized that the statistics remain preliminary and that the death toll may turn out to be higher after the final processing of the data.

The most serious situation developed in the capital region of Île-de-France, where the mortality rate during the specified period increased by 62%. A comparable rise was also noted in the Pays de la Loire region in the west of the country. According to French specialists, the current heat wave in its consequences resembles the events of 2003, when approximately 15,000 people, predominantly elderly, died in France due to extremely high temperatures.

Meteorologists note that June 2026 became one of the hottest in the entire history of meteorological observations in the country. In many French cities, thermometers rose to around 40 degrees, placing a serious strain on the healthcare system and emergency services.