Heatwaves Drive Surge in Drownings Across Europe

France has recorded 301 drownings since 19 June, a 14 % increase from 2025, the Sports and Youth Minister said, linking the rise to prolonged heatwaves.

Sports and Youth Minister Marina Ferrari told France Inter radio that the deaths were a tragic toll, with many tragedies occurring in areas that are not authorised or supervised for swimming.

The country, along with Spain and Italy, has been hit by wildfires caused by heatwaves, scorched thousands of hectares, and created dangerous conditions for people taking to the water.

Ferrari noted that many drownings were recorded in open water, including canals and individual pools, and that a sudden immersion in colder water on a hot day can cause shock and push people beyond their physical limits.

The government is working with regional authorities to improve swimming areas and make them safer. She added that older adults were particularly vulnerable to accidental drownings.

Climate scientists say Europe’s temperatures are rising twice as fast as the global average, a trend that is fuelling the frequency of extreme heat events and the accompanying risks.

For more on this topic, read drowning deaths soar in France as Europe buckles in peak of heatwave.