France heat wave causes 1,000 extra deaths as WHO warns Europe

France recorded around 1,000 additional deaths in three days as a brutal heat wave swept across Europe. The surge has sharpened warnings that the fastest-warming continent is still badly unprepared for recurring extreme heat.

In Short

• Red heat alerts covered three-quarters of France during the peak
• Most victims were elderly, with 85 per cent aged 65 and above
• Germany, Poland and Czech Republic all logged fresh national temperature records

Europe’s record-breaking heat wave has led to around 1,000 additional deaths in France in just three days, while the World Health Organisation has warned that Europe is the fastest-warming continent and must do more to protect people. The heat wave has also pushed temperatures to new highs in several countries, sparked wildfires in Germany and disrupted transport and public services.

As the extreme heat slowly moved eastwards, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic recorded fresh temperature highs over the weekend. In Berlin, police used water cannons to cool residents and tourists near the Brandenburg Gate, while emergency services across parts of Europe dealt with heat-related illness, thunderstorms and fire risks.

France’s national public health agency said on Sunday that deaths rose sharply last week, including at private homes, especially in the Paris region. More than 1,200 deaths were recorded on Wednesday, when the country was facing its hottest temperatures, and the daily toll rose to more than 1,400 on each of the next two days. In April and May, before the heat wave, France had recorded about 900 to 1,000 deaths a day.

The agency said France saw at least 1,000 additional deaths during those three days alone, adding that the figure was likely to rise as more data, including deaths at home, becomes available. The sharpest increase was seen in areas under red warnings for extreme heat, which covered about three-quarters of the country at the peak of the heat wave. It said 85 per cent of those who died were aged 65 and above.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X: “Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average.” He added: “Right now 150 million people are living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling.” Tedros said the “once-in-a-generation” heat wave, driven by climate change and global warming, is now happening nearly every year, and that more than 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded in Europe since June 21 in connection with high temperatures. “Heat stress is often called the ‘silent killer’ - and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures,” he said, calling on countries to improve preparedness, prevention and health system responses.

A study released on Friday by World Weather Attribution, a Europe-based group of scientists, said the record heat and humidity seen in Europe this past week would not have been possible without climate change. The rapid study said such heat would have been virtually impossible five decades ago and is now 200 times more likely than it was 20 years ago.

Germany recorded a new high for the third day in a row, with 41.7 degrees Celsius in Neiemunde near the Polish border, while Poland recorded 40.5 degrees Celsius. The Czech Republic also saw its hottest day on record at 41.9 degrees Celsius, after setting a previous record of 40.9 degrees Celsius on Saturday. In Sweden, several people were injured after lightning struck the Tosselilla Sommarland amusement park in Tomelilla. Three adults were taken to hospital, including a woman with serious injuries. In Denmark, which also set new temperature records on Saturday, public broadcaster DR reported 1,156 lightning strikes by Sunday morning.

In eastern Germany, a forest fire broke out in Gohrischheide, where World War II ammunition still remains in the ground, making firefighting more difficult. Another major operation was under way near the village of Traisen in southwest Germany, where a forest fire spread through an area containing unexploded ordnance. Firefighters had to stop work for a time after explosions, and an ordnance disposal unit was called in to assess the situation. Around 650 people in Traisen were asked to leave their homes on Sunday afternoon as the fire spread.

Fire departments in major German cities also responded to a rise in heat-related illnesses. In Berlin, there were 500 additional ambulance dispatches on Saturday, most linked to the heat. Police in the capital placed two large water cannons in front of the Brandenburg Gate and sprayed water over cheering crowds to offer relief from the heat.

The weather also damaged infrastructure across Germany. Concrete surfaces on many highways broke up, and national rail operator Deutsche Bahn warned people over the weekend to avoid unnecessary train travel. More than 600 passengers were evacuated from an overheated train in Brandenburg after a tree fell on an overhead power line during a storm on Saturday evening. The train, travelling from Hamburg to Prague, lost power, its air conditioning stopped working and the doors remained locked until emergency responders forced them open. Two people were taken to hospital with heat-related problems. In Leipzig, tram services were suspended until early Monday because high temperatures damaged tracks and switches, causing sealing material used with asphalt and concrete to run and clump across parts of the network.

The heat wave has left Europe dealing with deaths, record temperatures, thunderstorms, wildfires and major travel disruption, with France reporting a sharp rise in fatalities and health officials warning that the continent needs stronger protection against extreme heat.

With PTI Inputs

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