Europe is enduring one of its most severe heatwaves in recent history, with France reporting around 1,000 excess deaths in just three days as record-breaking temperatures fuelled wildfires, disrupted transport networks and even triggered explosions from unexploded Second World War ammunition in Germany.
France says 1,000 excess deaths were recorded during the blistering heatwave sweeping Europe, with health officials warning the true toll is likely higher. pic.twitter.com/DAF4mAZZcZ
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Scientists say the event is far more than an unusually hot spell. According to researchers at World Weather Attribution (WWA), the temperatures would have been virtually impossible without human-driven climate change, highlighting how rising global temperatures are intensifying risks to public health, infrastructure and emergency services across the continent.
France’s Deadliest Days
France’s public health agency said more than 1,200 people died on Wednesday, when much of the country experienced its most intense heat, followed by more than 1,400 deaths on each of the following two days. Based on preliminary data, the agency estimates that at least 1,000 additional deaths occurred during the three-day period compared with expected mortality levels. Officials cautioned that the figure is likely to increase as further data, including deaths outside hospitals, is compiled.
The sharpest rise in mortality occurred in areas placed under France’s highest red heat alert, which at one stage covered roughly three-quarters of the country. Most of those who died were aged 65 or older, underscoring the disproportionate impact of prolonged extreme heat on older and medically vulnerable people. The figures reinforce concerns that extreme heat is becoming an increasingly serious public health threat rather than simply a seasonal weather event.
Climate Signals Intensify
Researchers from World Weather Attribution concluded that climate change made the heatwave dramatically more likely.