French Heatwave Peak Sees 30% Weekly Death Increase; New Heatwave Expected This Weekend

(CNA Paris, July 3) -- France experienced a historic heatwave in June, and the number of deaths in the week of June 22-28 increased by nearly 30% compared to the previous week, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said this morning. According to weather forecasts, a new wave of intense heat is expected to arrive this weekend.

Santé publique France statistics show that the previous heatwave peaked during this period, with the number of deaths in France increasing by 29.1% compared to the previous week, equivalent to 2,025 people, though the actual number may be higher.

Le Figaro reported that this figure is based only on electronic death certificates, which account for just over half of the total deaths nationwide. However, the nearly 30% increase in weekly deaths is a strong indicator of the severe impact of the previous heatwave, which lasted over 10 days and included three days that set records for the hottest days in French history.

The Greater Paris region was particularly hard hit. During the peak of the heatwave, temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius, and the number of deaths in the region increased by over 62% in one week, equivalent to 619 additional deaths.

In an interview with TF1, Rist noted that among the 2,025 deaths, cases of death at home surged by 91% compared to the previous week. She also stated that 100 million euros (approximately 3.65 billion New Taiwan dollars) have been allocated for hospitals to purchase air conditioning equipment.

Furthermore, the French Ministry of Sports reported that over 90 people have drowned nationwide since June 19.

Health authorities had previously indicated that the death toll from the recent heatwave would not be as high as in the 2003 heatwave, which caused approximately 15,000 deaths due to heat-related factors, mostly among the elderly.

After the end of the previous heatwave, daytime temperatures in Paris recently dropped to a comfortable 20 to 27 degrees Celsius.

However, Météo-France announced today that a new wave of intense heat is expected this weekend, with maximum temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius in most parts of the country and potentially surpassing 35 degrees Celsius in the south. It remains uncertain whether this heatwave will be as severe as the previous one. (Editor: Tang Shengyang) 1150703

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