France registers a record 480 excess deaths during early summer heatwave

A man drinks water to cool down as he works on a construction site of tramway lines along the Garonne river during a heatwave in Bordeaux, south-western France on 1 July, 2025. © AFP - Christophe Archambault

The early summer heatwave that affected 60 French departments between 19 June and 6 July led to a record 480 excess deaths, a rise of 5.5 percent compared to normal mortality levels, the country's public health agency has announced.

People aged 75 and over accounted for almost all the excess deaths during the heatwave – 410 of those recorded in the affected areas, Public Health France said.