More than 1,000 additional deaths compared to normal levels were recorded by France during the prolonged heat wave, according to the National Public Health Agency.

Authorities have not yet confirmed how many of these deaths are directly linked to the high temperatures, while starting today, the heatwave is expected to gradually subside with rain and thunderstorms.

The National Public Health Service announced that the country recorded more than 1,000 unexpected deaths during the extreme heat wave.

Health Minister Stéphanie Rist spoke of a situation that gives cause for serious concern, noting that there are “indications that the mortality rate is higher than it was during the same period last year.” So far, however, there is no definitive data proving how many of the deaths were directly caused by the heat wave.

In an interview with La Tribune, the minister emphasized that: “The extreme heat of the past few days has a delayed effect, especially on vulnerable individuals, but also on some younger people, who sometimes end up in the emergency room five to ten days after the heatwave.”

Deaths at home and hospital admissions have increased

According to data published by Le Parisien, the increased mortality rate recorded from Wednesday through Saturday mainly concerns people over the age of 65.

At the same time, there has been a significant increase in deaths occurring in private homes, which have risen by approximately 40%.

At the same time, the emergency departments of public hospitals in Paris have come under particularly heavy pressure. Their caseload increased by nearly 18% in one week, while on Saturday alone, nearly 3,000 visits were recorded at emergency rooms, a figure up by 36% compared to a typical day.

The head of the emergency department at Georges Pompidou Hospital, Philippe Jouvain, warned that the toll from the heat wave may prove to be particularly severe.

As he noted, most of the patients being admitted to hospitals are elderly people and the homeless.

“We’ve had a few deaths in the department—patients who arrived in critical condition. But the majority of people die before they even reach the hospital. Emergency services are overwhelmed, as are the firefighters, and we’re in the emergency room too,” he said.

At the same time, he warned: “The number of elderly patients suffering from the heat is reaching critical levels. Today, tomorrow, and possibly Tuesday, we’ll find more people who are already at home in a coma. It’s Sunday, and tomorrow morning, home care workers and families will return to their jobs. We’ll find people either in very poor condition or dead.”

The weather is changing, with rain and thunderstorms

After days of extreme temperatures, weather forecasts indicate a gradual easing of the heat wave.

As early as Saturday evening, the first rain in Paris and other parts of the country, while a new wave of thunderstorms is expected to move from the Pyrenees toward the Massif Central, bringing significant relief after the extremely difficult days that preceded them.