France recorded a sharp rise in deaths at the end of June, as a record heatwave pushed temperatures above 40C in several parts of the country, the national public health authority said on Friday.
Public Health France said its latest report showed a 29.1% increase in deaths during the week beginning June 22, equivalent to 2,025 more deaths than in the previous week. The agency noted that the figure was likely to be an underestimate.
The increase was particularly pronounced in the Paris region, where deaths rose by 62%. A similar rise was also recorded in the Pays de la Loire region.
The heatwave, which lasted around 11 days, has triggered criticism from some French politicians, who accused the authorities of failing to take sufficient action as temperatures climbed. The Greens tabled a motion of no confidence against the government of Sebastien Lecornu on Thursday.
France’s June heatwave is considered to have been more intense than the deadly summer heatwave of 2003, when around 15,000 people died, many of them elderly residents in care homes. However, officials say its impact appears to have been less severe.
Health Minister Stephanie Rist said on Friday that the final toll would “probably not be comparable” to that of 2003.
Nicolas Revel, the head of the Paris public hospital system, said he expected the number of deaths linked to the June heatwave to be lower than in 2003, but “probably” higher than last year’s episode, which caused 5,700 deaths.
Source: CNA
