- France experienced a record-breaking heatwave in June that lasted about 11 days and saw temperatures exceed 40°C in many locations.
PARIS—France recorded a sharp increase of nearly 30 percent in deaths during the week of June 22, the peak of a severe heatwave that swept the country, the national public‑health agency announced Friday. In its latest bulletin, Public Health France reported “an increase of 29.1 percent, corresponding to 2,025 additional deaths compared with the previous week,” adding that the true toll was probably an underestimate. The surge was most acute in the Paris region, where fatalities rose by roughly 62 percent for the week beginning June 22, and a similar spike was observed in the Pays de la Loire area. Politicians have criticised the government’s response: the Greens filed a no‑confidence motion against Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s administration, arguing that measures to combat the extreme temperatures were insufficient. Historically, a 2003 heatwave claimed around 15,000 lives in France, most of them elderly residents of nursing homes. While authorities describe the current episode as more intense, they also note that its health impact appears less severe than that historic crisis. “It will probably not be comparable,” Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said on Friday. Nicolas Revel, head of the Paris public‑hospital system, anticipates that the death toll will be lower than the 2003 figure but “probably” higher than last year’s heatwave, which caused 5,700 fatalities. The government continues to monitor the situation and to improve heat‑alert protocols as temperatures remain elevated.
AFP
