On July 3, French Health Minister Brigitte Bourguignon stated that the extreme heatwave sweeping across France has already led to over 2,000 deaths.
Bourguignon said on TF1 television: "This morning, the Ministry of Health will release data on deaths from June 22 to June 28, amounting to approximately 2,025 additional fatalities."
Bourguignon noted that this figure is based only on 60% of all death certificates, and the final number may still change. She also highlighted a significant increase in mortality rates among people aged 45 and above.
Regarding official data released by France, within just three days—June 24 to June 26—the country recorded more than 1,000 excess deaths. Daily death tolls surged from the usual 900–1,000 to over 1,400, vividly illustrating the massive public health impact of extreme heat in a short period.
Data shows a clear age pattern among the deceased: 85% were individuals aged 65 and older, with mortality rates significantly rising among those aged 45 and above. Even more alarming is the shift in where deaths occurred: home-based deaths increased by 40% to 91%, far exceeding the rise seen in nursing homes and medical facilities. This reveals how vulnerable elderly people living alone—or residing in poorly insulated buildings such as attic apartments—are, especially when lacking effective community intervention or medical care during heatwaves.
This heat disaster underscores the legacy issue in European architecture and infrastructure: a historical emphasis on insulation and warmth, but inadequate cooling capacity. Air conditioning penetration in European households is only around 20%, significantly lower than in other major economies. Many critical institutions—including hospitals and nursing homes—still lack air conditioning, causing indoor temperatures to approach 40°C, making conditions unbearable for both medical staff and patients. Although the government has urgently ordered thousands of air conditioners, such emergency measures prove insufficient against extreme weather events.
The combined effect of climate change and institutional rigidity
is an inevitable outcome of Europe’s accelerated warming—approximately twice the global average. Yet, despite frequent extreme weather events, France's response mechanisms remain rigid. On one hand, historic city preservation laws, environmental principles (such as opposition to large-scale air conditioning installation), and neighborhood veto rights hinder the widespread adoption of cooling systems. On the other hand, despite continuous meteorological warnings, the government's actual emergency preparedness and medical resource allocation have been widely criticized as “seriously inadequate.”
In summary, France’s excess mortality exceeding 2,000 is not merely a direct reflection of extreme weather—it also serves as a stern indictment of its urban infrastructure, healthcare system, and climate change adaptation policies. As future heatwaves may become routine, addressing these structural and systemic shortcomings will be a long-term challenge facing the French government.
In fact, this European heatwave is just the beginning; by late July and early August, temperatures across much of the U.S. Midwest are expected to soar to 49°C.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869688000667648/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.