The French authorities offered this Sunday a first assessment of the victims associated with the extreme heat in the country and recorded 1,000 more deaths than usual since last Wednesday, announced Public Health France.

"Since June 24, around 1,000 additional deaths have been observed - unconsolidated figures - compared to the deaths recorded in previous months," he said.

This Ministry of Health body pointed out that the phenomenon mainly affects those over 65 years of age (85% of cases), and highlighted a 40% increase in deaths in homes alone.

“Mortality will be higher” due to “underestimation of data”

“This increase is more pronounced in the regions under red alert in recent days, in particular in Ile-de-France (Paris region), New Aquitaine, Brittany, Centre-Loire Valley, Normandy and Pays de la Loire,” he indicated.

This first balance, according to the agency, must be interpreted “with caution”, since “mortality will be higher” due to an “underestimation of the data”, which are based solely on electronic death certificates.

Temperatures dropped in France this Sunday after 11 days of a historic heat wave, considered more intense than that of 2003, but the delayed effect of heat on the body keeps hospitals under strong pressure and raises fears of high excess mortality.