According to Health Minister Stéphanie Rist, there have been “more deaths than usual” in France due to the heatwave sweeping the country.
“The extreme heat of recent days is having a delayed impact, particularly on vulnerable people, but also on some young people who are ending up in A&E five to ten days after the heatwave,” Rist told the newspaper La Tribune.
She said there were signs that the death toll was likely to be higher than at the same time last year.
The French authorities said on Thursday that hospitals in the capital, Paris, and the surrounding area were reaching “saturation point”.
But the minister warned that the pressure on already overburdened hospitals is likely to continue even after temperatures fall.
The effects of the heat on patients with chronic conditions “may last several weeks”.
“But it takes time to produce reliable data. Only 60 per cent of death certificates are issued electronically. We have to wait for the paper certificates to come in,” she said.
Europe is suffering from a severe heatwave, which has already caused dozens of deaths in Western Europe. Record temperatures are being recorded in a number of countries.
In particular, yesterday in the German city of Saarbrücken, located near the border with France, the highest temperature in German history was recorded – 41.3°C. In the Dutch province of Limburg, the temperature reached a record high of 39.4°C.
In France, dozens of people have died as a result of the extreme heat. The high temperatures have disrupted rail services and electricity generation, led to the suspension of school activities, and caused the postponement of large-scale outdoor events.