Santé publique France, the French public health agency, has released an initial report on the heat episodes that affected France since the end of spring 2026. The report highlights nearly 8,000 excess deaths across four consecutive heatwaves, which are defined as periods of abnormally high temperatures that can pose serious health risks to the population. These heatwaves occurred in May, June, July, and August, with the most severe lasting nearly a month and affecting 79 departments across the country. The first heatwave, from May 24 to 28, resulted in 95 excess deaths—meaning more deaths than would be expected during a typical period. A second, more intense heatwave between June 17 and July 2 led to 5,764 excess deaths. The third and longest heatwave, from July 3 to July 20, contributed 1,243 deaths and was the most severe in terms of duration and impact. This episode saw a significant shift in the profile of victims, with nearly all deaths occurring in people aged 75 and older, totaling 751 deaths in that age group. Approximately half of the deaths during this episode occurred over three days, August 14 to 16, following the hottest days of the period. Geographically, all regions of France were affected by the heatwaves except Normandy and Occitanie. Burgundy-Franche-Comté experienced the highest number of excess deaths at 140. The report also notes a shift in where deaths occurred compared to previous heatwaves. About 50% of deaths during the third episode occurred in hospitals, compared to 25% at home and more than 20% in Ehpad (residential care facilities for the elderly). This is a change from earlier heatwaves, where more deaths occurred at home. The report acknowledges some limitations in its methodology, such as the potential misclassification of deaths in Ehpad as home deaths and the possibility that some hospital deaths were linked to heat exposure that occurred earlier at home or in care facilities. The exact proportion of mortality directly attributable to heat remains unknown. Final figures, expected at the beginning of 2027, may provide more clarity on the impact of these heatwaves and help shape future prevention strategies. According to Guillaume Boulanger of Santé publique France, this summer will remain unprecedented due to the near-continuous occurrence of heatwaves, which were significantly above the usual average for the summer period.