A severe heatwave in June has set new temperature records in France, marking the country's hottest month since 1947. The unprecedented temperatures, which reached over 40°C in many regions, affected more than a third of France from June 17 to 30. Meteo-France reported that during this period, temperatures surpassing 40°C were recorded across more than 40% of the country. The average temperature for the month was 22.7°C, which is 3.8°C above the seasonal norms for 1991-2020. This heatwave also broke records in other parts of Europe. The second heatwave this year in France has led to a significant increase in death rates, resulting in school closures and cancellations of festivals. According to Public Health France, the number of deaths increased by 29% during the hottest week of June, with at least 2,000 more deaths reported compared to the previous week. This new count from Public Health France, which spans the week of June 22 to June 28, covers the days when France recorded its highest temperatures and shattered records for peak daytime and nighttime temperatures in many cities and towns across the country. Public Health France has counted 8,973 deaths so far for that week, but the number is still only a partial count. The difference between the two sets of figures – 2,025 so far – represents additional deaths from one week to the next, due to all causes and affecting all age groups. In Paris, funeral service directors have reported difficulties in finding places to store bodies before burial or cremation, with some mortuaries reaching capacity and turning some away. Emergency departments, such as Paris-Saclay Hospital, have seen a surge of patients suffering from heat exposure since June 20. Treatments included heart attacks, dehydration, kidney malfunctions, and other heat-related problems affecting people of all ages. There was also a sharp increase week-on-week in the number of deaths in private homes (up by 91%) and hospitals (nearly 20%), with the Paris region being hit hardest. Public Health France has acknowledged that its figures underestimate the true toll due to incomplete data, meaning the actual mortality rate is expected to be higher than these initial findings.