France recorded at least 5,700 more deaths than would normally be expected during a historic heat wave that struck the country from 17 June to 2 July, the national public health agency confirmed, marking a sharp upward revision of earlier estimates. The figures make it the deadliest heat wave in France since 2003, when an estimated 15,000 people died, and underline the growing toll of increasingly severe and early-onset heat events driven by climate change across Europe.

Public Health France said affected regions recorded 21,674 deaths from all causes during the period, against an expected 15,910 based on historical modelling, producing 5,764 "excess" deaths, 36% above normal. Just over half of these occurred around the peak of the heat wave, 25–27 June, when temperatures topped 40C in many areas and France recorded its hottest-ever days. The Paris region was worst affected, with almost 2,000 unexpected deaths (roughly 80% above normal), overwhelming hospitals and leaving funeral directors struggling to store bodies; nearly half of all deaths occurred in hospitals, about a third at home, and the rest largely in care homes. The agency previously estimated only around 2,000 excess deaths for the peak week and cautioned that final figures, expected later this year, may rise further since many heat-related deaths, such as heart attacks, are not formally recorded as such.