PARIS, June 30 (Xinhua) -- France recorded at least 300 excess deaths during a late-May heatwave that affected 17 departments placed under an orange heatwave alert, according to preliminary estimates released on Tuesday by French health authorities.
The affected departments, located in Brittany, Ile-de-France, Normandy, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Pays de la Loire, were under an orange alert issued by Meteo-France from May 26 to May 30. During the five-day period, all-cause mortality was estimated to be 13.9 percent above expected levels, resulting in around 300 excess deaths.
People aged 75 and above were the hardest hit, accounting for approximately 230 of the excess deaths, representing a 15 percent increase over expected mortality for the age group.
The estimates, released three weeks after the heatwave, are based on preliminary all-cause mortality data available as of June 23 and remain subject to revision.
Health authorities said the unusually early and intense heatwave caught much of the population before it had adapted to high temperatures, while schools and workplaces were still operating. They warned that increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves linked to climate change are having significant and measurable impacts on public health. ■