France links sharp rise in drownings to heatwaves | At least 35,000 excess deaths recorded in Eur…

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France links sharp rise in drownings to heatwaves

France has seen 301 drownings since 19 June, a government minister has said, linking the sharp rise in deaths from last year to a series of prolonged heatwaves.

Sports and Youth Minister Marina Ferrari told France Inter radio the number of deaths – a 14% hike on 2025 – was a "tragic toll".

France, Spain and Italy have all been hit by heatwaves that have triggered massive wildfires that have scorched thousands of hectares of land this summer.

Ferrari said people had been taking risks by going into the water, adding: "Many deadly accidents have occurred in areas that are not authorised or supervised for swimming."

At least 35,000 excess deaths recorded in Europe’s back-to-back heatwaves

True figure likely to be much higher as it only covers about half of continent and does not include August totals

At least 35,000 more people died during Europe’s four record-breaking, back-to-back heatwaves this summer than would normally be expected, according to incomplete figures from barely half the continent.

Excess mortality in three of the EU’s larger countries – Germany, France and Spain – alone has already exceeded 25,000, according to the provisional national figures, and experts say the toll will rise significantly once August totals are consolidated.

The consecutive heatwaves across western Europe since May shattered all-time historical temperature records across hundreds of weather stations, and France recorded its hottest national average day on record.

Heat wave-hit Europe logs over 30,000 excess summer deaths: First figures

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Europe saw at least 30,000 excess deaths across a blistering summer of back-to-back heat waves and drought that scientists have blamed on man-made climate change, according to provisional figures.

Between mid-July and mid-August, the continent's EuroMomo monitoring platform estimates that Europe saw more than 32,000 excess deaths—with the summer not yet over.

While EuroMomo does not publish breakdowns of deaths by country, various national health authorities have published provisional tolls covering comparable periods stretching roughly between the end of May and August.

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