France recorded 5,700 more deaths than usual during its historic June heatwave - AP News

What the report says

The Associated Press reports that France’s public health agency has raised its estimate of the mortality impact from a historic June heat wave, saying the affected regions recorded at least 5,764 more deaths than expected. Public Health France said Wednesday that from June 17 to July 2, those regions saw 21,674 deaths from all causes, compared with a modeled expectation of 15,910 based on prior years.

According to AP, the agency described the excess mortality as 36% above normal, the highest level linked to a French heat wave since 2003, when about 15,000 deaths were estimated. France set national heat records on June 24 and 25, with average temperatures reaching 30 C, while many places saw peaks above 40 C and unusually hot nights. Slightly more than half of the additional deaths occurred between June 25 and June 27, during and just after the most intense conditions.

The Paris region was reported as the most affected, with 1,999 excess deaths, about 80% more than expected without the heat wave. AP cited the agency as saying nearly half of the 21,600-plus deaths occurred in hospitals, about one-third at home, and most of the remainder in care homes. Funeral operators in Paris said storage capacity for bodies came under strain.

The estimate is preliminary and is expected to be updated as more data becomes available. AP notes that heat-related mortality can be difficult to count because deaths triggered or worsened by extreme heat may be recorded under immediate medical causes such as heart attacks.