France records 4,000 deaths in three days during record European heatwave

France registered at least 4,000 deaths in three days during a severe heatwave, according to the country's public health agency. Preliminary data indicates over 1,200 fatalities on June 24, followed by approximately 1,400 deaths on each of the following two days as temperatures approached 40 degrees Celsius.

The surge in mortality was concentrated in private residences, especially in the Paris region, but also affected nursing homes and hospitals. This represents a significant increase compared to the usual daily death rate of 900 to 1,000 people in April and May before the heatwave began. The sharpest rise in deaths occurred in areas under extreme heat warnings, which covered about three-quarters of the country at the peak of the event. Eighty-five percent of the deceased were individuals aged 65 or older.

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At least 4,000 people have died over three days in France during the peak of its record-breaking heatwave, according to the country's public health agency.

Across Europe, the heatwave shattered temperature records, with Germany and Poland experiencing their highest-ever recorded temperatures. Wildfires ignited in Germany, and authorities in Berlin used water cannons to cool down crowds gathered near the Brandenburg Gate. The extreme conditions disrupted transportation networks, with melting tar on roads and power outages halting train services. In Brandenburg, over 600 passengers were evacuated from a stalled, overheated train after a tree fell on power lines during a storm. As the heat moved east, Romania also issued an extreme heat warning.

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85 per cent of the deaths involved people aged 65 and above, and the temperatures had broken France's all-time heat record.