🔥 Spain, France Face More Heat, Paris Supermarket Fights Over Air Conditioners, Elder Deaths
- 'Spain and France face more heat after scorching June caused 2,000 deaths,' The Guardian, July 2, 2026. - Edited.
- Temperatures could reach 44C in south-east Spain as fights break out in Paris supermarkets over air-conditioning units
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Spain and France are bracing for another possible heatwave that could bring temperatures of 44C (111F) over the coming days, as figures show that June’s extreme heat was responsible for more than 2,000 excess deaths in the two countries. Spain’s state meteorological agency, Aemet, said a mass of dry and very hot air would bring persistently high temperatures to much of Spain from Saturday, adding that temperatures in parts of the south-east could hit 42C to 44C on Tuesday.
“Temperatures will begin to rise over the weekend and we can’t rule out another heatwave,” said Rubén del Campo, an Aemet spokesperson.
The agency said the high temperatures could increase the likelihood of forest fires next week and warned older people and those with cardiovascular problems to take extra care in the daytime heat. Scientists have said the heatwave, which was the most severe and widespread to hit western Europe, was possible only due to the climate crisis driven by fossil fuel burning.
Provisional figures from Spain and France show that about 1,000 people lost their lives in each country because of the extreme heat.
The French medical emergency service SOS-Médecins said it had recorded an 85% increase in deaths among people aged over 75 during the last two weeks of June. A total of 513 elderly people died during the week of 22 June, compared with 278 the previous week. Call-outs to that age group, mainly for high temperature and anxiety, rose by 14%, it said. Hospitalisations of people over 75 increased by 19%. Across all age groups, call-outs for heatstroke and dehydration soared by 480% and 315% respectively.
Meanwhile, the return of high temperatures to the Paris region has led to sometimes violent competition to acquire air-conditioning units. Hundreds of people besieged Lidl supermarkets in and around the French capital on Thursday, with scuffles and shouting matches breaking out as residents scrambled to get their hands on bargain air-cooling units before the next heatwave...
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/02/spain-france-new-heatwave-warning
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