French health minister: Current heatwave unlikely to be as deadly as 2003

France's Health Minister Stéphanie Rist expressed optimism that the current heatwave will not reach the mortality levels seen in 2003, when an estimated 15,000 excess deaths were recorded. Rist stated in an interview that while the current heatwave is meteorologically comparable to 2003, the health impact is expected to be less severe.

This assessment follows provisional figures released by French authorities, indicating approximately 1,000 additional deaths since June 24, coinciding with the mid-point of the current heatwave. These figures are not yet consolidated. The majority of these deaths, 85%, have affected individuals over 65 years old, with a 40% increase in deaths occurring at home.

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Although the heatwave is comparable from a meteorological point of view to that of 2003, we probably will not be in the same situation from a health point of view.

The most affected regions include Île-de-France (Paris region), Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, Normandy, and Pays de la Loire. Santé publique France, the agency providing the initial figures, cautioned that the data should be interpreted with prudence, as the final mortality count is likely to be higher due to potential underestimation in electronic death certificates. The government had previously warned that the full health effects of the prolonged and extreme heatwave were yet to be fully realized.

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Since June 24, around 1,000 additional deaths have been observed - figures not consolidated - compared to deaths registered in previous months.