Drownings surge past 300 in France amid heatwaves

France has recorded over 300 drownings this summer, according to Sports and Youth Minister Marina Ferrari. The exact number is 301 drownings since June 19. This represents a 14 percent increase from the summer of 2025, as reported by Gulf News.

The surge in drownings is linked to the heatwaves that have swept Europe, with Ferrari citing risky behaviour and a desire to cool off in water as contributing factors. Many of the deadly accidents occurred in areas not authorised or supervised for swimming.

The number of drownings has risen significantly from an initial toll of 142 deaths reported on July 15. According to Ferrari, the increase in drownings is in line with the repeated heatwaves that have hit many European countries.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Local France, Gulf News — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.