French health officials said Sunday there had been around 1,000 more deaths than expected during a record-breaking heatwave that has baked much of western Europe for days.
“Since June 24, approximately 1,000 additional deaths (unconsolidated figures) have been observed compared to the deaths recorded in previous months,” Public Health France said in a statement.
France was among the worst hit countries by a ‘heat dome’ which was over Western Europe for several days last week and was only just easing on Sunday..
It was the second spell of unusually hot weather this year, after a scorching week in May smashed records in half the country.
Temperatures hit 37C in some areas on Wednesday, and peaked at 40C in some regions on Saturday.
In Paris, swimming was allowed from Wednesday evening under lifeguard supervision in one part of the Canal Saint-Martin, in the east of the city.
Alexandra Cordebard, the mayor of the capital’s 10th district, said allowing swimming in the canal earlier than scheduled in July was “a new way of fighting climate change and adapting the city”.
In summer, swimmers will also be able to cool off at designated points along the Seine River, after it reopened to swimmers last summer for the first time in a century.
Paris had poured more than a billion euros ($1.15 billion) into getting the river clean enough to use during the 2024 Olympics.
Studies and scientific bodies agree that heatwaves in Europe are becoming more frequent as a consequence of climate change.
Meteo France says that of the 51 heatwaves recorded nationwide since 1947, 34 have occurred since 2000 and 26 since 2011.
Global average temperatures are likely to continue at or near record levels this year and for the next four years afterwards, the United Nations has warned.
