Heatwave in Europe becomes deadly: more than 3,700 additional deaths reported in France, Belgium and the Netherlands | Life in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: A record heatwave that swept across Europe in late June has left at least 3,700 dead in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, with authorities warning the toll is likely to rise as more data becomes available.

France was hardest hit, recording 2,025 additional deaths during the week of June 22-28, according to Public Health France. This figure represents an increase of 29.1 percent compared to the previous week, when 6,948 deaths were recorded. The health agency has counted 8,973 deaths so far for the peak week of the heatwave, but said the count remained incomplete.

The latest figures double a preliminary estimate of around 1,000 additional deaths released last week, underscoring the severity of what meteorologists described as the hottest June in France since records began in 1947.

Temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in more than 40 percent of the country during the June 17-30 heatwave, overwhelming emergency services, disrupting transport and forcing schools to close.

Health authorities reported a particularly sharp increase in deaths occurring in private homes, which increased by 91 percent compared to the previous week. Deaths in nursing homes increased by 37 percent, while deaths in hospitals increased by almost 20 percent.

The Paris region recorded the largest increase, with deaths rising by almost 63 percent over the same period. Funeral directors in the capital have reported running out of storage space, forcing some morgues to turn away bodies.

Although people aged 65 and over account for the largest share of deaths, Public Health France has also noted a significant increase in deaths among people aged 45 to 64. Young people were not spared: four children died after being left in overheated parked vehicles during the heatwave.

Doctors across France reported treating an influx of patients suffering from dehydration, heatstroke, heart attacks and kidney failure as temperatures reached unprecedented levels.

The extreme weather also triggered political fallout. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s government faces a possible vote of no confidence, amid criticism that France was not sufficiently prepared for the prolonged period of extreme heat.

Neighboring Belgium reported 1,222 additional deaths between June 18 and 29, about 39% above normal mortality levels. Belgian health authorities called the increase “unprecedented,” noting that the country has experienced seven consecutive days with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius as well as unusually warm nights.

In the Netherlands, authorities estimated that around 480 additional deaths occurred during the same period, with the highest mortality recorded among people over 80 years old.

Scientists have attributed the intensity of the late June heatwave to human-induced climate change, saying rising global temperatures are making these extreme weather events more frequent and severe.

The latest episode revived memories of the catastrophic heatwave of 2003, during which around 15,000 people died, most of them elderly residents in nursing homes. Although authorities estimate the current death toll will remain below that level, they expect it to exceed the number of deaths recorded during last year’s heatwave, which claimed the lives of around 5,700 people.

European authorities have warned that mortality figures remain preliminary and are likely to rise as reporting is completed.

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