France saw 1,243 excess deaths during July heat wave

France saw an estimated 1,243 excess deaths during the heat wave this July 3-22, according to Health Ministry figures local media reported on Wednesday.

The figure was based on an extrapolation of data from 5,000 municipalities across France and was linked to an increase in all-cause mortality during the heat wave, said French daily Ouest-France.

The excess mortality was about four times lower than during the previous heat wave from June 17 to July 2, when nearly 5,800 excess deaths were recorded nationwide.

During a shorter heat wave in late May, around 300 excess deaths were recorded.

The country's southeast and the island of Corsica did not see excess mortality during the June 17-July 2 heat wave, but the Paris region was particularly affected.

The Grand Est and Pays de la Loire regions were also among the hardest hit.

Guillaume Boulanger, head of the unit for the quality of living and working environments and population health at Public Health France, said the exact causes of the excess deaths are not yet known.

"Specific studies of death certificates will be needed to analyze the causes and profiles," he said.

People under the age of 15 appeared to have been spared during the previous heat wave, while older people remained the most affected.

It also said an increase in deaths among people 45 and older was particularly marked.

Excess mortality recorded shortly after a heat wave does not allow for the formal attribution of individual deaths to high temperatures.

In 2025, 1,900 deaths were attributed to three heat waves, while 5,700 heat-related deaths were recorded over the entire summer season.

France is also experiencing another heat wave in August, which has not yet ended in the country's southeast.

A full human toll for the summer of 2026 is expected to be published in September, with a final assessment to follow after further studies are completed.