France’s public health agency, Sante Publique, announced Sunday that the country has recorded 1,000 excess deaths connected to the intense heatwave that has been scorching much of Europe — and officials say that number will almost certainly climb.
In releasing its early death toll figures, Sante Publique noted that the majority of those who died were elderly. The agency added that it anticipates the mortality numbers to increase as additional data becomes available regarding deaths that occurred in residential care facilities and private homes.
Across Europe, people have been suffering through dangerously high temperatures during a heatwave tied to dozens of deaths. The extreme heat has also shattered temperature records, disrupted power generation, and caused damage to infrastructure throughout the continent.
Scientists have described the heatwave — which began on June 20 — as the worst ever documented in Europe, a region where the climate is warming at a faster pace than the global average.
While the heatwave has been shifting eastward, France’s weather agency reported that the most extreme heat has eased in most parts of the country. However, some areas in the northeast remained under a heatwave advisory.
Health Minister Stephanie Rist cautioned in an interview with La Tribune newspaper that the health consequences of the extreme heat could persist for up to 10 days even after temperatures return to normal.
“The episode is not finished,” she also told broadcaster BFM.
Sante Publique confirmed that while most of the deaths involved people aged 65 and older, the health impacts of the extreme heat were felt across all segments of the population.
