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France recorded 5,700 more deaths than usual during its historic June heat wave
AP News • • general
Key Points:
- France experienced at least 5,700 excess deaths during a historic heat wave from June 17 to July 2, according to Public Health France, marking the highest heat wave mortality since 2003.
- The heat wave caused 36% more deaths than expected, with 21,674 total deaths recorded compared to an expected 15,910 based on previous years' data.
- The Paris region was the hardest hit, recording 1,999 unexpected deaths, about 80% above normal, and mortuaries struggled with storage capacity during the crisis.
- Over half of the excess deaths occurred during the hottest days from June 25 to June 27, with nearly half of the deceased passing away in hospitals overwhelmed by heat-related cases.
- Experts note that many heat-related deaths may not be officially recorded as such, as underlying causes like heart attacks triggered by heat are often listed instead.
