France recorded around 1,000 additional deaths this week due to an “exceptional” heat wave that continues to hit Europe.
Record temperatures caused the number of daily deaths to exceed 1,400 on Thursday and Friday, compared to 900 to 1,000 daily in April and May, Santé Publique France reported in a statement on Sunday. These figures are likely to be revised upwards as they are based on digital certificates, which typically account for around 60% of deaths nationwide, the health authority explained.
According to the statement, of the deaths registered since Wednesday, 85% corresponded to people 65 years of age or older.
The unprecedented heat that has hit Western Europe for more than a week has strained public health services and affected everything from transportation to food and energy production. It is easing in France and spreading eastwards, with scorching temperatures in countries such as Germany and Italy.
“The extreme heat of recent days has a delayed effect, especially on vulnerable people, but also on some young people,” declared French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist in an interview with La Tribune Dimanche. The effects can persist for weeks in people with chronic illnesses, meaning the pressure on health services is expected to continue even after temperatures drop, he added.
The government recently allocated 100 million euros ($114 million) in emergency spending to purchase air conditioners, fans and other equipment for hospitals. The number of people who died at home increased especially markedly, especially in the Paris region, according to the French health authority, which called for solidarity with isolated people, even in urban areas.
Italy is bracing for Sunday as the toughest day of the heat wave, with 18 cities, including Rome and Milan, under “red” weather alert, the highest on a scale of four, according to the Health Ministry. Residents have been advised to stay at home from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Some events were canceled due to the heat wave, including a concert by pop singer Loredana Bertewhile Saturday’s Milan Pride parade was postponed until late afternoon.
In Germany, rail company Deutsche Bahn AG advised against any non-essential travel as the country recorded the highest nighttime minimum temperature in its history, at 29.4 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit).
