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Paris Heat Wave Triggers Record Cardiac Arrests, Child Death

6/25/2026

24 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

On June 24, Paris health officials recorded 25 cardiac arrests, far above the usual daily total of under 10.
A three-year-old boy died after being locked in a car in St-Gratien on June 24, despite parents’ and firefighters’ resuscitation.
His mother was hospitalized in shock while his father remained in a garden shed.
Paris hit 40.3 °C on June 24, the highest since 1947, prompting closures or reduced hours at thousands of primary schools.

History

Historical Context

The deadly 2003 European heatwave, which hit France at 44 °C on 12 August 2003 and caused about 15,000 excess deaths, prompted the EU to adopt a Heat-Health Action Plan and spurred French authorities to improve emergency response. On 24 June 2024 Paris reached 40.3 °C, triggering Météo-France orange alerts, school closures and several cardiac arrests, showing the plan’s early-warning system in action.

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Story summary

On June 24, Paris health officials recorded 25 cardiac arrests, far above the usual daily total of under 10.
A three-year-old boy died after being locked in a car in St-Gratien on June 24, despite parents’ and firefighters’ resuscitation.
His mother was hospitalized in shock while his father remained in a garden shed.
Paris hit 40.3 °C on June 24, the highest since 1947, prompting closures or reduced hours at thousands of primary schools.

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