France swelters as heatwave deaths mount, political divide over cooling deepens

As record-breaking temperatures grip the country, France is facing not only a public health emergency but also a deepening divide over how to adapt to a warming climate.

The debate now is whether the country should install more air conditioning — or find other ways to help people stay cool.

The stakes could hardly be higher.

France has recorded at least 1,000 excess deaths during the blistering heatwave sweeping across Europe, said the public health agency on Sunday, which warned that the true figure is likely to be higher.

Across the country, air conditioners and even basic fans have been selling out, with many people desperate for some kind of relief, especially those living in small apartments where nighttime offers little respite.

"My apartment is top floor, south facing, so it's really, really, really hot in there and after the last heat wave I was able to get my hands on an air conditioner, so it's been a lot better manageable now," said Jessica, a French resident.

The political right has argued that France needs to get serious about installing air conditioning in more homes, particularly for elderly people and those most vulnerable to extreme heat.

But the left is pushing back hard, saying mass air conditioning is not the answer. They argue that it may cool one apartment, but it adds pressure on the electricity grid and pumps even more hot air back into already overheated streets.

"That (installing air conditioning) is a short-term solution just for our comfort when we have committed so long to not contributing further to climate change," said a resident.

France swelters as heatwave deaths mount, political divide over cooling deepens

More than 1,300 excess deaths linked to high temperatures have been recorded across Europe since June 21, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media platform X on Sunday.

The excess death count refers to the difference between the actual total number of death in a specific period and location and the number of deaths normally expected.

"Right now 150 million people are living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling," Tedros said on X.

He warned that "heat stress is often called the 'silent killer' - and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures."

Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating twice as much as the global average, Tedros said. "Driven by climate change and global warming, the phenomenon of the 'once-in-a-generation' heatwave is now occurring' nearly annually, he said.

The WHO is working with its members and partners to address the health threats posed by extreme heat through focusing on preparedness, prevention and stronger health system responses. Tedros called on European countries to "implement heat health action plans" as part of the broader agenda to protect health against climate change.

Over 1,300 excess deaths linked to Europe heatwave: WHO