France records ~1,000 excess deaths amid record-breaking heat wave

France’s public health agency reported roughly 1,000 additional deaths over three days at the height of an unprecedented heat wave that shattered temperature records across Europe. Daily deaths rose from the usual 900‑1,000 to more than 1,200 on Wednesday and over 1,400 on the following two days, with the sharpest increase occurring in private homes, especially in the Paris region.

About 85 % of the excess fatalities were people aged 65 and older, and the surge was most pronounced in areas under red extreme‑heat warnings, which covered roughly three‑quarters of the country at the peak. A World Weather Attribution study linked the extreme heat and humidity to climate change, finding the event 200 times more likely than it would have been 20 years ago. WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that Europe is now the fastest‑warming continent, underscoring the urgent need for stronger protective measures.