French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said on 2026-09-04 that France recorded about 7,000 excess deaths through the end of July from successive summer heatwaves. ^[1] France experienced an exceptional succession of heat episodes in summer 2026, including an unprecedented May event and further episodes in July and August. ^[2] Rist said the final death toll from the 2026 summer heatwaves could approach or exceed the approximately 15,000 deaths recorded during the 2003 heatwave. ^[3] Stéphanie Rist said on 2026-09-04 that the duration of heat episodes is a key factor in assessing health impact, noting the 2003 heatwave had about 15 days of extreme temperatures while 2026 episodes have repeated throughout much of the summer. ^[4] Météo-France said the June 2026 heatwave was the hottest on record for that month. ^[5]