France’s national public health authority has reported that the country experienced at least 1,000 additional deaths last week during the heat wave compared to averages recorded in previous months.
According to Santé Publique France, between June 24th and June 26th, there were approximately 1,000 additional deaths over the average recorded in April and May, with the most “pronounced” increases being seen in regions under the red alert for heatwaves, such as in Britanny, Centre-Val de Loire, Île-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Normandy, and Pays de la Loire.
The public health authority said that the increases in deaths impacted all age groups; however, 85 per cent of the deaths recorded involved those aged 65 or older, with deaths increasing in hospitals and nursing homes.
There was a particular jump in deaths at home, increasing by 40 per cent over average, underscoring the deadliness of heat in a country in which only around 24 per cent of homes have air conditioners installed.
Yet, the true impact of the heatwave is likely to grow in the coming days, with Santé Publique noting significant gaps in how deaths are recorded, which vary by region and the manner of death.
The health authority said that the electronic death certificate system typically only captures around 60 per cent of deaths initially, though this varies between deaths recorded at home, where fewer are logged and hospitals, where significantly more are recorded.
“The observed trends should therefore be interpreted with caution, as the data are underestimated, particularly in areas and for places of death that are least covered by the system, such as deaths at home. Mortality will consequently be higher than these initial figures suggest,” Santé Publique said.
In addition to deaths directly from the heat, there have also been dozens of drownings, mainly youngsters, who attempted to find some relief from the oppressive heat wave.
While the heat wave brought international attention to the issue, heat-related deaths in Europe are a frequent phenomenon, with some 62,700 heat-related deaths logged across Europe during the summer of 2024, 50,800 in 2023, and 67,900 in 2022.
Although frequently demonised by left-wing climate change alarmists, public sentiment appears to be shifting on air conditioners, with over 8 in 10 voters in France saying ACs should be installed as standard in buildings.
The populist National Rally party of Marine Le Pen has vowed to enact a “massive air-conditioning plan” that would fund around 20 billion euros in air-conditioner investments nationwide. The party has said that it would use an interest-free loan already available under the so-called climate transition legislation.
The Macron government’s Minister for Ecological Transition, Monique Barbut, has said that she is “horrified” by the number of people demanding air conditioning, while claiming that it would exacerbate the heat outside of buildings in cities.