Seven Heat Deaths Confirmed In France In Latest Record Spike; Temperatures Over 100F Expected In Coming Week

[hatrack]

Seven people have died in France in an extreme early summer heat event affecting a swathe of western Europe, with record high temperatures for May recorded for a second day in several countries.

In France, which logged its hottest ever May day on Monday and again on Tuesday, the weather agency Météo France said the heatwave could last through the week and predicted temperatures could reach 39C in some areas.

“What I can say today is that there have been seven deaths linked directly or indirectly to the heat,” the French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon told TF1 television, adding that five of the deaths had been by drowning.

The UK also reported its hottest ever day for May, at 35C near London, breaking a record of 33.5C set on Monday, as a high-pressure system trapped warm air over western Europe.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/26/deaths-france-linked-record-high-temperatures

[RockRaven]

1. The true death tolls from these heat waves are often seen in retrospect from excess death rates

rather than from those deaths identified in the moment. IOW, the real numbers are much higher than we know right now.