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France Records About 1,000 Extra Deaths During June Heat Wave
Public Health France recorded around 1,000 excess deaths over three days in late June 2026. Record temperatures across Europe prompted infrastructure damage, wildfires and emergency measures in multiple countries.
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France recorded around 1,000 additional deaths during the three hottest days of its June 2026 heat wave, @NBCNews reported. Public Health France said daily deaths exceeded 1,200 on Wednesday and 1,400 on each of the following two days, compared with a normal rate of 900 to 1,000 per day in April and May. The agency attributed 85 percent of the excess deaths to people aged 65 and above.
Temperature records fell across Europe on June 27-28. Germany reached 41.7 °C in Neißemünde on June 28, while the Czech Republic recorded 41.1 °C the same day. A World Weather Attribution study released June 26 found the observed heat and humidity would have been virtually impossible five decades ago and is now 200 times more likely than 20 years ago.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated on June 28 that Europe is the fastest-warming continent, heating at twice the global average, and that 150 million people were living under extreme heat. He added that more than 1,300 excess deaths had been recorded across Europe since June 21.
Wildfires broke out in eastern and southwestern Germany on June 28 in areas still contaminated with World War II ammunition, forcing temporary halts to firefighting operations.
Approximately 650 residents near Traisen were evacuated. Berlin police deployed water cannons in front of the Brandenburg Gate on June 28 to cool crowds, while the city recorded 500 additional ambulance dispatches on June 27, most heat-related. Lightning struck Tosselilla Sommarland amusement park in Tomelilla, Sweden, injuring three adults, one seriously.
Denmark recorded 1,156 lightning strikes by June 28 morning. In Germany, more than 600 passengers were evacuated from an overheated train in Brandenburg on June 27 after a tree fell on a power line; two were hospitalized with heat-related problems. Tram service in Leipzig remained suspended until early Monday due to heat damage to tracks and switches.
