France's Heat Wave Linked to Around 1,000 Extra Deaths Since June 24

Full text

PARIS — France has recorded 1,000 more deaths than usual this month — an increase that can be attributed to the record-breaking heat wave the country has gone through in recent days. “Since June 24, approximately 1,000 additional deaths (unconsolidated figures) have been recorded compared to the deaths recorded in previous months,” the French national health agency said in a statement on Sunday. “This increase has been more pronounced in regions under a red alert over the past few days,” the agency continued, referring to the highest alert level for heat waves. On Sunday, most of France was no longer on red alert, after more than a week of scorching heat, including several record-breaking days and nights. High temperatures are now moving eastward. The heat wave — the worst to ever to hit Western Europe — could not have occurred without humans heating the planet by burning fossil fuels, scientists said. Spanish researchers are attributing more than 210 fatalities to the heat — a number expected to increase. In France, several events have been canceled or postponed over the weekend, such as the Pride festival and the Solidays music festival, to avoid overloading hospitals which are already near their breaking point, especially in the Paris region. “The increases [in deaths] are seen across all age groups, underscoring the fact that the effects of heat waves can affect the entire population. Nevertheless, 85 percent of the deaths recorded involve people aged 65 and older,” the French health agency said, adding those were “preliminary data that underestimate the total number of deaths.” The heat wave has become a debate talking point for politicians, less than a year ahead of a high-stakes presidential election. Some schools have had to close and public transportation was affected, raising concerns about the French state’s lack of preparedness for extreme heat waves that are likely to become more intense, more frequent and longer, according to climate scientists.