recorded nearly 5,800 excess deaths during the June , country’s deadliest heat-related episode since 2003, according to the French public health agency.
Public Health France said on Wednesday that 5,764 excess deaths were recorded between June 17 and July 2, a 36 per cent increase over the number of deaths normally expected during the period, AP reported.
The agency said the affected regions registered 21,674 deaths from all causes, compared with an expected 15,910 deaths based on statistical modelling using previous years’ data.
The excess mortality is the highest recorded during any French heatwave since the devastating 2003 heatwave, which claimed an estimated 15,000 lives.
Heatwave shatters temperature records
France experienced its hottest days on record on June 24 and 25, when the national average temperature reached 30°C, accompanied by record overnight temperatures. Many parts of the country saw daytime temperatures climb above 40°C.
According to the health agency, more than half of the excess deaths occurred over just three days, from June 25 to June 27, during the peak of the heatwave.
The agency described the event as an “unprecedented episode”, due to early arrival, intensity and duration, which exposed nearly the entire population while schools and workplaces remained open.
Paris region hardest hit
The Île-de-France region, which includes Paris, recorded the highest number of excess deaths.
Public Health France estimated 1,999 unexpected deaths in the Paris region, around 80 per cent higher than would normally have been expected without the heatwave.
According to AFP, funeral directors in Paris struggled to find space to store bodies before burial or cremation, with several mortuaries reaching full capacity.
Nearly half of those who died during the period passed away in hospitals, which experienced a surge in patients suffering from heat-related illnesses. Around one-third died at home, while most of the remaining deaths occurred in care homes for older people.
The health agency said the latest figures are provisional and will be updated later this year as more complete mortality data becomes available.
Elderly account for most deaths
According to The Guardian, people aged 75 years and above accounted for roughly two-thirds of the excess deaths recorded during the heatwave.
Many deaths linked to extreme heat are not officially classified as heat-related because underlying conditions such as heart attacks are often listed as the immediate cause of death.
Europe battles heat and wildfires
France’s updated death toll comes as large parts of southern Europe continue to grapple with extreme temperatures and devastating wildfires.
In Spain, firefighters are battling one of the country’s largest wildfires on record in the Guadalajara region, where about 32,000 hectares have burned, forcing more than 1,200 people to evacuate from 34 villages.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the country has already experienced 22 major wildfires this year, four times as many as during the same period last year, and warned against downplaying the climate emergency.
In France, two firefighters died while responding to a blaze in the south-western Gironde region, while another wildfire has burned through 2,500 hectares in the Var department, forcing hundreds of residents to flee.
Authorities in Greece have imposed restrictions on outdoor work during peak daytime heat, while Italy has placed the entire island of Sicily under its highest wildfire alert as temperatures exceed 40°C and multiple fires continue to burn.
