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France records 2,025 excess deaths at peak of heatwave as Europe braces for more extreme weather
Key takeaways
- Deaths rose 29% in the last week of June compared to the week before, with French health minister Stéphanie Rist adding there had been a "clear increase" in deaths among those over 45.
- France saw its hottest day ever on average country-wide on 24 June, with temperatures hitting almost 41C in Paris and half the nation placed under a red heat alert.
- News of the death toll comes with parts of Europe, including the UK, braced for more searing temperatures from this weekend.
Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.
EPABy Ella Kipling Published3 July 2026, 11:08 BSTUpdated 19 minutes ago France has said it recorded an increase of more than 2,000 deaths during the last week of a record-breaking European heatwave in June as forecasters warn of further extreme temperatures on the continent in the next few days.
Deaths rose 29% in the last week of June compared to the week before, with French health minister Stéphanie Rist adding there had been a "clear increase" in deaths among those over 45.
France saw its hottest day ever on average country-wide on 24 June, with temperatures hitting almost 41C in Paris and half the nation placed under a red heat alert.
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