Heatwave Kills More Than 1,300 People Across Europe in Just One Week — WHO
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More than 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded across Europe since June 21 as a severe heatwave grips the continent, according to the World Health Organization. France has been hit hardest, accounting for around 1,000 of the reported fatalities, while health authorities warn that the death toll could continue to rise as extreme temperatures persist.
This is reported by Euronews.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that more than 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded in Europe since June 21 due to extreme heat. He said that “European homes, workplaces, and schools were not built for these temperatures.”
France’s national public health agency said that since June 24, France has recorded about 1,000 additional deaths compared to the average of previous months. Most of the deaths occurred in regions with the highest, red, weather alert level. According to the agency, 85% of the dead were people aged 65 and over.
Temperatures in several regions of France have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius this week, putting additional strain on hospitals and emergency services. More than 30 departments in the country were under red alert, and the average daily temperature on Wednesday hit a record high of 30 degrees Celsius.
In Paris, the heat has forced public drinking to be banned, a Pride march to be postponed, and the Eiffel Tower and Louver Museum’s opening hours to be reduced. Authorities have also warned against swimming in unauthorized areas after a man died in the Canal Saint-Martin.
“We have said it before and we will say it again: swimming outside of the permitted times and outside of specially designated places is dangerous,” said Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire.
The heatwave also saw the death of 21-year-old Guingamp footballer Kenzo Chies, who reportedly drowned in the Rhone River.
The heatwave has also spread to other European countries. The UK recorded its hottest June day on record on June 27, with a temperature of 37.3 degrees Celsius. Spain and Germany also saw temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius. According to the Spanish mortality monitoring system MoMo, more than 400 deaths could have been linked to the high temperatures between Wednesday and Saturday.
It was previously reported that about 1,000 people have died in France due to the abnormal heat wave that has been ongoing since June 24. Most of the victims are people over the age of 65, and the authorities are canceling mass events due to the risk of new deaths.
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