June 2026 European Heatwave Impacts

In June 2026, a historic heatwave affected the United Kingdom, France, and other European countries, causing record-breaking temperatures. In France, France — Public Health France reported 5,764 excess deaths between June 17 and July 2, the highest toll since 2003. In the UK, a study by the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics and the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change estimated that the heatwave led to 24 million lost working hours and cost the economy £1.15 billion. The study surveyed 1,950 adults and found that 3.6% of respondents (equivalent to 1.25 million workers) did not work at all during the week of June 22. 87% reported health impacts such as disrupted sleep, fatigue, dizziness, and fainting. Sectors like construction and agriculture were disproportionately affected. Elizabeth Robinson, director of the Grantham Institute, urged the government to act now to adapt to extreme heat.