France reports about 1,000 excess deaths during heatwave, health agency says.

French health officials said Sunday that there had been around 1,000 more deaths than expected during a record‑breaking heatwave that has baked much of western Europe for days.

“Since June 24, approximately 1,000 additional deaths (unconsolidated figures) have been observed compared to the deaths recorded in previous months,” Public Health France said in a statement.

The agency noted that areas under a red alert for heat were particularly hard hit, and that 85 percent of the excess deaths involved people aged 65 and older.

The sharpest increases were reported among people who died at home, especially in the Île‑de‑France region, which includes Paris and its suburbs.

“This observation serves as a reminder of the need for measures of solidarity toward people who are isolated or experiencing profound loneliness, including in highly urbanised areas,” the statement added.

The agency emphasized that the figures were preliminary and likely represent an underestimate.

Heat eased across France on Sunday after days of punishing temperatures that pushed the mercury above 40 °C in many areas.

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