France Recorded 5,000 Excess Deaths During Heatwave: Officials

France recorded over 5,000 more deaths than normal during a heatwave that started on June 17, the country’s public health agency said on July 22.

Public Health France estimated that 5,764 excess deaths from all causes occurred from June 17 to July 2. More than half took place between June 25 and June 27, and people aged 75 and older accounted for two-thirds of the estimated death toll.

Temperatures broke records on multiple days, including reaching nearly 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.8 degrees Celsius) in Saintes and 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40.1 degrees Celsius) in Paris, during the heatwave.

The excess mortality was higher in regions with higher temperatures, according to Public Health France. Nearly 2,000 were recorded in Île-de-France, which includes Paris.

The estimate was drawn from administrative data and did not include information on the cause of death.

“This excess mortality from all causes underscores the health impact linked to the remarkable intensity and duration of the population’s exposure to heat across mainland France, although it did not reach the levels of 2003,” Public Health France stated, referring to a heatwave that killed an estimated 14,802 people.

“These data constitute an initial estimate of the heatwave’s impact on all-cause mortality, compiled and published three weeks after the end of the heatwave, and are therefore preliminary,” Public Health France added. “They will need to be confirmed by more detailed analyses of the end-of-summer monitoring period report in the autumn.”

EuroMOMO, a network that monitors mortality across participating European countries, recently reported that more than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe during the heatwave, with some 90 percent of the deceased being 65 years of age or older.

The organization, which is supported by the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said that no other factors appeared present besides the extreme heat in attempting to explain the spike in deaths.

During the last week of June, France and Belgium logged very high excess mortality, the organization said, while Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands noted moderate excess mortality and England, Wales, Italy, and Germany reported low excess mortality.

World Health Organization officials called on countries to upgrade health facilities to prepare for future influxes of heat-related problems and ensure people have access to water and shade.