Paris mortuaries overwhelmed as Europe’s record heat drives up death toll

A record-smashing heatwave with temperatures exceeding 40°C has overwhelmed Paris mortuaries, causing a spike in deaths. Mortuary owner Zouhaeir Hertelli reports all 32 cold storage spaces are full, and he receives hundreds of calls from funeral directors and mourning families seeking space for bodies. The heatwave, which began in mid-June, has hit France particularly hard, especially among older people dying at home. The full death toll may take weeks or months to calculate, but the immediate crisis is evident as the heatwave shifts eastward across Europe.