France to lift highest heat alert as temperatures begin to drop

France is set to ease its highest level of heat alert for most of the country by Sunday night, as temperatures are expected to decrease. The "red" alert will be downgraded to "orange" for the Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin departments, according to Météo France.

Despite the de-escalation in some areas, 22 of France's 96 departments will remain under an orange alert, signifying temperatures higher than usual for this time of year. The nation has been enduring an extreme heatwave lasting 11 days, a duration and intensity comparable to the severe heat episode of August 2003.

Provisional figures released by French authorities reveal a significant impact on public health. Over 1,000 excess deaths have been recorded since Wednesday, coinciding with roughly half of the heatwave's duration. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist suggested that while the mortality increase is substantial, it is unlikely to reach the scale of the 2003 heatwave, which saw an estimated 15,000 additional deaths.

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This increase is more pronounced in the regions under red alert in recent days, particularly in Île-de-France (Paris region), Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, Normandy, and Pays de la Loire.

Santé France, a public health agency, reported that the majority of these excess deaths, approximately 85%, involve individuals over 65 years old. The agency also noted a 40% increase in deaths occurring at home. The rise in mortality has been particularly pronounced in regions that have experienced prolonged red alerts, including the Paris region (Île-de-France), Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, Normandy, and Pays de la Loire.

Santé France cautioned that these initial figures should be interpreted with prudence, as the final mortality count is expected to be higher due to potential underestimation in current data, which relies on electronic death certificates.

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This first assessment, according to Santé France, must be interpreted with caution, as mortality will be higher due to an underestimation of the data, which is based solely on electronic death certificates.