By Agency Reports
France has recorded at least 1,000 excess deaths during the peak of a record-breaking heatwave that swept across much of Europe, according to the country’s public health agency.
The agency said the additional deaths occurred over three days last week, with the highest mortality recorded in areas placed under the most severe red heat alerts. Around 85 per cent of the victims were aged 65 and above.
Daily deaths rose sharply from the usual 900 to 1,000 recorded in April and May to more than 1,200 on Wednesday and over 1,400 on each of the following two days. Officials cautioned that the final death toll could increase as more data, including deaths recorded at home, becomes available.
The announcement came as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world and urged governments to strengthen measures to protect people from extreme heat.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said more than 1,300 excess deaths had been linked to high temperatures across Europe since June 21, describing heat stress as a “silent killer” made worse by climate change.
Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group said the unprecedented heat and humidity experienced across Europe would have been virtually impossible without human-induced climate change. Their study found that such extreme conditions are now about 200 times more likely than they were two decades ago.
The heatwave shattered temperature records across several countries. Germany recorded 41.7 degrees Celsius near the Polish border, while the Czech Republic reached a record 41.1 degrees Celsius.
The extreme weather also sparked wildfires in parts of Germany, damaged transport infrastructure, disrupted rail and tram services, and triggered severe thunderstorms across several countries. In Sweden, lightning strikes injured several people at an amusement park, while Berlin police deployed water cannons at the Brandenburg Gate to help cool crowds gathered in the intense heat.Headline suggestions: