Extreme heat claimed 5,700 lives in France

While record temperatures across Europe continue to take lives and cause forest fires, more than 5,700 deaths occurred in France, above normal expectations, during the heat wave in June. The French National Health Agency announced that between June 17 and July 2, 5,764 more deaths were recorded in the country compared to the normal period. It was stated that this situation, which indicates a 36 percent increase in the expected mortality rate, intensified especially between 25-27 June and that approximately two-thirds of those who lost their lives were individuals aged 75 and over.

While authorities explained that these deaths occurred due to all causes, they pointed out that the total number recorded exceeded the excess death figures in the entire summer season of last year. The heat wave brought devastating forest fires across Southern Europe. Thousands of people were evacuated due to the huge fire that broke out in the Guadalajara region, north of Madrid, Spain, and turned more than 32 thousand hectares of land to ashes.

Stating that the total area burned across the country this year exceeded 100 thousand hectares, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez emphasized that measures against the climate crisis should be increased. Similarly, thousands of hectares of land burned in the southern regions of France, and two firefighters lost their lives during the fight. Extreme heat and strong winds continue to negatively affect the entire Mediterranean basin.

On the Italian island of Sicily, the highest risk level was declared throughout the island due to fires spreading due to high temperatures and wind. While a ban has been imposed on working outside during the hottest hours of the day after air temperatures exceed 41 degrees in Greece, meteorologists warn that human-induced climate change increases the risks of such droughts, heat waves and fires day by day.