France records around 1,000 additional deaths as extreme heat sets European records

By — Kirsten Grieshaber, Associated Press Kirsten Grieshaber, Associated Press By — John Leicester, Associated Press John Leicester, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/france-records-around-1000-additional-deaths-as-extreme-heat-sets-european-records Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter France records around 1,000 additional deaths as extreme heat sets European records World Jun 28, 2026 11:41 AM EDT BERLIN (AP) — France saw around 1,000 additional deaths last week at the height of its record-smashing heat wave, the country's public health agency said Sunday, as the head of the World Health Organization warned that Europe is now the fastest-warming continent and needs to do more to protect its citizens. Temperature records were toppled in several countries on the weekend, wildfires were sparked in Germany and Berlin police used water cannons to cool down the crowds. Meanwhile, the heat wave slowly moved toward eastern parts of the continent. WATCH: Millions in Europe face extreme temperatures from record-breaking heat wave Germany marked a new record for the third day in a row with 41.7 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) in Neißemünde, near the border with Poland. The Czech Republic also experienced its hottest day ever with 41.1 C (106.4 F). A new study from the World Weather Attribution, a Europe-based collaboration of scientists, reported Friday that the record-breaking heat and humidity in Europe this past week would not have been possible without climate change. The rapid study found that the heat would have been virtually impossible just five decades ago, and is 200 times more likely today than it would have been 20 years ago. France records surge in deaths during heat wave France reported a surge in deaths last week, including a sharp increase at private homes, especially in the Paris region, the national public health agency said Sunday. A woman uses a fan to shelter from the sun outside the Colosseum during a heatwave in Rome, Italy, on June 28, 2026. Photo by Yara Nardi/Reuters There were more than 1,200 deaths on Wednesday, when France was sweltering under its hottest temperatures, increasing to more than 1,400 deaths on each of the two following days, Public Health France said. In April and May, before the heat wave, France's rate of deaths was about 900 to 1,000 per day. The agency concluded that France experienced a total of at least 1,000 additional deaths during those three days alone, an estimate it cautioned is likely to increase as more data is collected, including for deaths at home. The increase was sharpest in areas under red warnings of extreme heat, it said. Those warnings blanketed about three-quarters of the country at the peak of the heat wave. The agency said that 85% of the deaths involved people aged 65 and above. Europe is the fastest-warming continent, WHO warns "Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth,