France's record heat wave linked to more than 1,500 excess deaths in a week
Photo: This year's heat wave is considered record-breaking (Getty Images)
Record-breaking heat in late June caused the death rate in France's Île-de-France region to more than double compared with normal levels, according to Le Monde.
How many people died
Between June 22 and 28, the Île-de-France region recorded a significant rise in deaths amid the heat wave. According to updated data, the difference between the expected and actual number of deaths was 122%, or 1,565 excess deaths.
Overall, the region recorded nearly 3,000 deaths, almost twice the usual level.
Who was affected the most
"Most of those affected were people over the age of 65, who accounted for 82.4% of all deaths," the agency said, adding that even these new estimates may still underestimate the actual toll.
Why earlier figures were incomplete
In early July, the agency published its first estimates of excess deaths, reporting more than 2,000 deaths across France — an increase of around 30% nationwide and more than 62% in Île-de-France.
However, those figures were based only on electronic death certificates and were compared with the previous week, which had already been marked by extreme heat.
The new estimates published Friday are more comprehensive. They include paper death certificates, while the comparison is now made against normal mortality levels rather than the previous unusually hot week.
What happened next
The following week brought a brief break before another heat wave, which is now coming to an end. However, mortality levels still did not return to normal, with excess deaths remaining above 200 in Île-de-France during those days.
According to the agency, heat-related deaths are not limited to the immediate effects of overheating, such as dehydration and hyperthermia. Some consequences may not become apparent until several days later.
This heat wave has claimed lives beyond France as well. According to official data, around 10,000 people in Europe have died as a result of extreme heat, while Belgium recorded its highest excess mortality on record.
Earlier reports said June was the hottest June ever recorded in Western Europe, as extreme heat shattered temperature records.
We also reported that Paris Deputy Mayor Audrey Pulvar, responding to criticism from the United States, said the US remains one of the world's largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions and bears significant responsibility for the consequences of global warming.
