Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) - Belgium recorded 2,935 additional deaths compared to what is usually recorded, during the three heat waves that struck the country between mid-June and mid-August, according to an updated report issued Thursday by the National Institute of Public Health (Scienceno).

Published on: 09/03/2026 - 16:41

The report includes rates related to the recent heat wave that struck Belgium during the first half of August, as the excess mortality rate reached 7% during this period. This represents an additional 365 deaths, on top of the 2,570 deaths announced two weeks ago for two heatwaves in June and July.

Sciensano distributed the numbers by region, noting that the additional deaths are higher in Wallonia (the French-speaking south) than in Flanders (the Dutch-speaking north).

These cases of excess mortality were observed in Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels in June and July (but not in August). The authorities indicate that these deaths mainly concern “people under the age of 85 in Flanders and Brussels” and “people aged 85 and over in Wallonia.”

In France, the Minister of Environmental Transformation, Monique Barbeau, announced that the summer of 2026, which witnessed severe heat waves, drought, and large forest fires, was the hottest in the country since data recording began in 1900.

France witnessed three heat waves, one of which at the end of June set records, while another wave recorded from the end of July until August equaled the record for the longest heat wave witnessed by France, which dates back to the year 1983, as it lasted 23 days.

During this period, the country witnessed large forest fires, such as the fire that destroyed part of the Gironde region. “By the end of August, wildfires had burned six times more area than the average area burned over the past 20 years,” Barbeau said.

© 2026 AFP

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