France records 1,000 excess deaths during severe heatwave

French health officials recorded around 1,000 excess deaths in less than a week as the country was hit by its most severe heatwave in more than two decades.

Temperatures rose above 40C in many parts of France, with Tuesday marking the hottest day nationwide since 2003.

Around 1,000 additional deaths have been recorded since June 24, the National Public Health Agency said on Sunday, adding that 85% of the victims were aged 65 or older.

“This has highlighted the need to reinforce solidarity measures for people who are isolated or experiencing severe loneliness, including those living in densely populated urban areas,” the agency said.

Deaths at home jumped by 40%, particularly in the Ile-de-France region, which includes Paris. Other hard-hit regions include Normandy, Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, Pays de la Loire, and Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Several events were canceled in Paris, including the annual Pride March, according to RFI. Officials said hospitals and funeral homes in the capital are overwhelmed, and other public services are also under strain.

Some politicians accused the government of being unprepared for the crisis, with left-wing MP Clemence Guette calling the management of the heatwave “a disaster.”

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez dismissed the criticism. “No, I wouldn’t call it a fiasco,” he told Le Parisien on Saturday. “Every public service rose to the occasion because we were prepared, contrary to what some politicians are claiming.”

On Sunday, temperatures reached 41.7C in Germany and 41.1C in the Czech Republic.

“Heat stress is often called the ‘silent killer’ – and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote on X.