France Records Over 1,200 Excess Deaths During July’s Extreme Heatwaves
Impact and Analysis of July’s Extreme Heatwaves in France
Overview of Excess Deaths
PARIS, Aug 19 (Reuters) - France recorded 1,243 excess deaths between July 3 and July 22 when the country was hit by exceptionally high temperatures, the country's health ministry said on Wednesday.
Data Collection and Methodology
• The count includes all deaths regardless of their cause and is an estimate based on death certificates issued during the period.
Demographics Most Affected
• People aged 75 and older represented about three-quarters of the excess mortality.
Weather Conditions and Contributing Factors
Temperature and Drought Records
• July was the hottest month recorded to date in France and one of the driest, the country's weather agency said earlier this month.
European Context
• Europe as a whole has experienced more extreme warming, linked to human-induced climate change, than any other continent this year, meteorologists have said.
Previous and Future Data
Earlier Excess Deaths in the Season
• The national health agency had recorded last month 5,764 excess deaths during the period between June 17 and July 2.
Preliminary Nature of Findings
• The tally is preliminary and final data will be available for the whole summer in October or November, the ministry said.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Inti Landauro; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Barbara Lewis)
