France records around 1,000 additional deaths as extreme heat sets European records

France experienced a significant increase in mortality last week, with around 1,000 additional deaths occurring at the peak of a record-shattering heat wave, the nation's public health agency reported Sunday. The surge in fatalities, particularly noted in private homes and the Paris region, underscores the severe impact of extreme temperatures on vulnerable populations.

Public Health France stated that daily deaths exceeded 1,200 on Wednesday, the hottest day, and remained above 1,400 on the following two days. This marks a substantial rise compared to the pre-heat wave daily death rate of approximately 900 to 1,000. The agency cautioned that this figure is an estimate and likely to increase as more data, including home deaths, is collected. The increase was most pronounced in areas under red warnings for extreme heat, which covered about three-quarters of the country.

Globally, the World Health Organization highlighted Europe's vulnerability, with its Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stating that Europe is warming at twice the global average. He noted that 150 million people are currently under extreme heat advisories, leading to hundreds of deaths and straining infrastructure like power grids. The WHO chief linked the "once-in-a-generation" heat wave to climate change and global warming, emphasizing that such events are becoming nearly annual occurrences.

Meanwhile, temperature records continued to fall across the continent. Germany registered a new high of 41.7 degrees Celsius (107 F) for the third consecutive day, while the Czech Republic recorded its hottest day ever at 41.1 C (106.4 F). A study by World Weather Attribution confirmed that the extreme heat and humidity would have been virtually impossible without climate change, estimating it to be 200 times more likely today than two decades ago. Wildfires also erupted in Germany, and authorities in Berlin deployed water cannons to cool down crowds amidst the oppressive heat.

“

Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average. Right now 150 million people are living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling.