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A nurse taks care of a man at the emergency department of the Paris-Saclay Hospital, outside Paris, June 30, 2026
DEATHS in France jumped 30 per cent in the recent heatwave, authorities said today.
Health Minister Stephanie Rist said there were 2,025 additional recorded deaths between June 22-28 compared to the previous week, with Public Health France warning this was almost certainly an underestimate.
The capital Paris saw an even greater increase, of 62 per cent. France saw an 11-day heatwave last month that saw temperatures hit 40°C across much of the country. Figures for excess deaths over the whole period are not yet available.
The Greens have moved a motion of no confidence in the Sebastien Lecornu government, saying it has not prepared France for extreme heatwaves likely to recur more often due to the warming climate.
A survey by pollster Elabe found 53 per cent of the French say the country is “not at all prepared to cope” with heatwaves of this severity.
Unions and climate activists pressure government to consider legislation for maximum working temperature
Extreme heat is now one of the defining public health challenges of a warming world, explains Prof IAN WILLIAMS