PARIS — France has recorded 1,000 more deaths than usual this month — an increase that can be attributed to the record-breaking heat wave the country has gone through in recent days.
“Since June 24, approximately 1,000 additional deaths (unconsolidated figures) have been recorded compared to the deaths recorded in previous months,” the French national health agency said in a statement Sunday.
“This increase has been more pronounced in regions under a red alert over the past few days,” the agency continued, referring to the highest alert level for heat waves.
On Sunday, most of France was no longer on red alert, after more than a week of scorching heat, including several record-breaking days and nights. High temperatures are now moving eastward. The heat wave — the worst to ever to hit Western Europe — could not have occurred without humans heating the planet by burning fossil fuels, scientists said.
