France links sharp rise in drownings to heatwaves

France has seen 301 drownings since 19 June, a administration minister has stated, linking the sharp rise in deaths compared to last year to the prolonged heatwaves.

Key points

• Sports and Youth Minister Marina Ferrari informed France Inter radio the number of deaths – a 14% hike on 2025 – was a "tragic toll".
• France has logged 7, 300 excess deaths between late May and 22 July, according to provisional figures from the public health authorities.
• The June heatwave saw a nuclear power plant in southwest France temporarily shut down since water temperatures in the River Garonne topped 28C.
• Some monuments like the Eiffel Tower additionally decided to close early as of the high temperatures in Paris during the June heatwave.
• Speaking on Friday, she continued that "many drownings, particularly among the elderly, occurred in individual pools".

France, Spain and Italy have been hit by heatwaves. It have triggered massive wildfires that scorched thousands of hectares of land.

Ferrari remarked residents have been taking risks by going into the water, adding: "Many deadly accidents have occurred in areas that are not authorised or supervised for swimming."

She remarked a number of the drownings were recorded in "open water, in canals for example".

Ferrari remarked the administration was working with regional authorities "to improve swimming areas and make things safer".

According to The minister, sudden immersion in cold water on a hot day could cause shock, and in some cases "people can also exceed their physical capabilities".

In June, Ferrari cautioned that too numerous individuals were trying to cool off in rivers and canals without necessarily taking the risks into account.

Climate change is driving up temperatures worldwide – but particularly in Europe.

It is the fastest warming continent, heating up twice as fast as the global average, according to the Copernicus climate service., external.

Drowning deaths soar in France as Europe buckles in peak of heatwave.

Meanwhile, the June heatwave saw a nuclear power plant in southwest France temporarily shut down since water temperatures in the River Garonne topped 28C. Under French laws, water applied to cool the reactors at the Golfech plant must not exceed that temperature.

For context, the dry conditions additionally saw wildfires spread throughout France, with the Gironde, around the city of Bordeaux, in the south-west of the country being the worse affected area, with more than 200, 000 individuals being forced from their homes in late July.

Taken together, the developments around france links sharp rise in drownings to heatwaves point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.