The Public Health Agency in France (Santé publique France) said that France has recorded about a thousand more deaths since June 24, during a record heat wave sweeping Western Europe.
The most pronounced increase in deaths was in areas where a red heat alert was in effect – particularly in the Ile-de-France, New Aquitaine, Brittany, Center Loire Valley, Normandy and Loire-Lande regions.
The increase in deaths affected all age groups, but 85% of those who died were people aged 65 years and over. The number of deaths has increased in hospitals, nursing homes, and at home. Moreover, since June 24, home deaths have risen particularly sharply (by about 40%), especially in the Ile-de-France region.
father Data According to the World Health Organization, more than 1,300 excess deaths linked to rising temperatures have been recorded across Europe since June 21. “Heat stress is often referred to as the ‘silent killer,’ and European homes, workplaces and schools were not designed for these temperatures,” WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus wrote.