BRUSSELS  –  France recorded 2,025 additional deaths during the exceptional heat wave that struck the country in late June, with nearly 9,000 deaths electronically certified nationwide between June 22 and June 28, according to preliminary data from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) reviewed by broadcaster BFMTV. The increase coincided with the peak of a major heat wave that affected much of the country. French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said the figures remain provisional because electronic death certificates do not cover all deaths recorded nationwide. Authorities cautioned that the current data should be interpreted carefully and may underestimate the full impact of the heat wave. Electronic death certificates account for around 60% of deaths nationwide, although coverage varies significantly across regions, according to officials. France has experienced several days of exceptionally high temperatures, with many regions recording temperatures above 35C (95F). We might only be a few days into July, but two record-breaking summer heatwaves have already provided the UK and Europe with a snapshot of their new climate. Hot on the heels of May’s heat, June saw temperature records not only broken but smashed in what the UN’s weather agency called an “extraordinary” event across the continent.  And after a brief period of respite, another heatwave is on the way. If this feels unusual, that is because it is. But it is also exactly what scientists predicted in our warmer world, driven primarily by the burning of fossil fuels releasing heat-trapping greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. “Human-induced climate change has made events like this more likely and more intense,” said Prof Stephen Belcher, chief scientist at the UK Met Office.  

The intensity of these heatwaves is evident from how far temperatures were above normal in May and June averaged across the UK, marked here in red. Temperatures peaked at 37.7C in Lingwood, Norfolk, according to provisional figures.

It was one of several stations to surpass the UK’s previous June high of 35.6C, set in 1957 and tied in 1976.  “To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering,” said Belcher.  Not every weather station has data as far back as the famous summer of 1976, but even some of the longest-running stations saw their previous records broken by 2C or more. “We normally expect the records broken by small amounts – tenths, maybe up to a degree or so,” said Ed Hawkins, professor of climate science at the University of Reading.  “So to have it shattered by such a large amount is noticeable and extraordinary, and of course this comes after a similar event in May.”

June’s heatwave may have felt particularly oppressive because it brought a double whammy of high temperatures and humidity. High humidity means it is harder for our bodies to cool down by sweating.

It also stayed very warm even after the Sun had set, making it difficult to sleep. Our bodies rely on cooler nighttime temperatures to recover from the heat of the day.

In Cardiff, temperatures did not drop below 23.5C on the night of Wednesday 24 June into Thursday – the warmest June night ever recorded around the UK. Most of England and Wales experienced at least one tropical night in June, where temperatures do not fall below 20C. Historically, these have been very rare in the UK. “We would definitely expect to see more and more tropical nights, as global temperatures keep rising,” said Hawkins.