France faces economic losses of 10 to 15 billion euros from this summer's heatwaves, Environment Minister Monique Barbut said Wednesday, a sharp rise from the 5.6 billion euros recorded in 2022.
Barbut cautioned that the preliminary figures rely on extrapolations from previous years by the national statistics agency Insee, which said it has not produced its own cost estimate for summer 2026. The toll could climb further as temperatures remain well above seasonal averages across much of the country. Water shortages have intensified, with more than 40,000 residents facing tap-water cutoffs and supplies for nearly 3 million placed under vigilance.
President Emmanuel Macron has said France is battling its worst wildfire season since World War II, following the hottest June and July on record in Western Europe.