France Records About 1,000 Extra Deaths During Late-June Heat Wave

France recorded around 1,000 additional deaths during the week ending Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the height of its heat wave, @ABC reported. Daily deaths exceeded 1,200 on Wednesday, June 24, and topped 1,400 on both Thursday and Friday, compared with a normal range of 900 to 1,000 per day in April and May.

Public Health France said 85 percent of the excess deaths involved people aged 65 and older.

Temperature records fell across central Europe over the weekend of June 27–28. Germany reached 41.7 °C in Neißemünde, Poland hit 40.5 °C, and the Czech Republic recorded 41.9 °C, surpassing its previous high of 40.9 °C set the day before, @ABC reported.

A World Weather Attribution study released June 26 concluded that the observed heat and humidity would not have been possible without climate change and is now 200 times more likely than in 2006.

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 more than 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded across the continent since June 21. Thunderstorms and lightning accompanied the heat.

Several people were injured at Tosselilla Sommarland amusement park in Tomelilla, Sweden, with three adults hospitalized, one with serious injuries.

Denmark recorded 1,156 lightning strikes by Sunday morning. Forest fires broke out in contaminated areas of eastern and southwestern Germany. In Traisen, 650 residents were evacuated Sunday afternoon.

Berlin reported 500 extra ambulance calls on Saturday, most heat-related, and police used water cannons at the Brandenburg Gate to cool crowds. Infrastructure was also affected. More than 600 passengers were evacuated from an overheated train in Brandenburg after a tree downed a power line, and two were hospitalized.