The relentless heatwave sweeping across Europe continues to cause severe disruptions and public health crises across multiple nations today, with France reporting a significant surge in mortality and both Croatia and Hungary shattering long-standing temperature records.
In France, the national public health agency, Santé publique France (SpF), announced that the year’s first extreme heat event, which took place between May 24 and 28, resulted in over 300 more deaths than statistically expected. This represents a nearly 14% increase in mortality compared to the average of the previous six years.
The vast majority of the victims were over the age of 75, with excess mortality heavily concentrated in the departments along the Atlantic coast and throughout the Paris metropolitan area.
Caroline Semaille, the Director-General of SpF, clarified that these initial figures account for all-cause mortality, noting that the exact number of deaths directly attributable to heat exposure will only be finalized at the end of the summer season.
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However, French authorities warned that the current heatwave, which began on June 24, could yield a far higher human toll. Preliminary estimates suggest an excess mortality of roughly 1,000 deaths.
Because these provisional numbers rely on electronic death certificates—which capture only about 60% of total fatalities—the French Ministry of Health expects the final count to rise significantly, though it is projected to remain well below the 15,000 deaths recorded during the historic 2003 European heatwave.
Looking ahead, Météo-France warned that the country will face yet another heatwave starting this Friday, with temperatures expected to surpass 35°C in several regions once again.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu assured the public that emergency response mechanisms will remain fully active. Meanwhile, meteorologists warned that the lack of rainfall between these intense heat intervals is severely worsening soil droughts and elevating wildfire risks.
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According to projections calculated by Agence France-Presse (AFP), based on data from the German Meteorological Service and demographic models from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, more than 95 million people across Europe will face temperatures exceeding 35°C at some point today, primarily concentrated in southern and eastern territories.
In the Balkans, the Croatian coastal city of Split registered a scorching 39.5°C today, marking its highest temperature since record-keeping began and eclipsing the previous local record of 38.6°C set in July 1950.
While historic for the city, the temperature remains below Croatia’s all-time national record of 42.8°C.
Hungary also established a grim milestone, shattering its national temperature record as thermometers peaked at 42°C in Szécsény, located in the northern part of the country near the Slovakian border.
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This surpassed the previous national high of 41.9°C recorded in 2007. The capital city of Budapest also broke its own local record, reaching 41°C and edgeing past the previous milestone of 40.7°C.
In response to the extreme conditions, Hungarian authorities have maintained the highest level of weather alerts, and more than 120 localities have enacted strict water consumption restrictions. Prime Minister Peter Magyar urged citizens to opt for remote work whenever feasible and to strictly avoid non-essential water usage to preserve utility reserves.
