THE recent spell of very hot weather contributed to an additional 700 deaths, the French health minster has said.
Marisol Touraine said that between 29 June and 5 July there was an increase of 7% in the number of deaths compared to the long-term average for the same period.
This was how the figure of 700 was reached, and compares to 15,000 additional deaths in 2003, when the health service was heavily criticised for its poor reaction to the extreme temperatures.
This year around 3,600 people were admitted into hospital, while around 1,500 saw their local GP as a result of temperatures which hovered around 40°C.