France's 5,700 Heat Deaths Expose Limits of Safeguards

France recorded 5,700 heat-related deaths in summer 2026. About one-third occurred during heat waves—periods of extreme, prolonged heat. The government issued its highest-level health alert in June, signaling unusual danger. The toll shows strain on protections built after 2003, when heat killed 15,000. Current systems still struggle when heat spreads widely and lasts long.