France has reported 1,000 excess deaths linked to the record-breaking heatwave that has gripped Europe since June 20, with health officials warning the toll is expected to increase as additional deaths in private homes and residential care facilities are confirmed.
The French public health agency said most of the fatalities involved people aged 65 and older, although the extreme temperatures have affected the wider population.
French Health Minister Stephanie Rist said the health impact could continue for up to 10 days after temperatures begin to ease, adding, "The episode is not finished."
While conditions have improved across much of France, parts of the country's northeast remain under a heatwave advisory.Heatwave Spreads
The heatwave has extended across much of Europe, with temperatures reaching or exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in several countries and at least 191 million people forecast to experience temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius or higher.
Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Serbia, Croatia, Italy, Austria and western Ukraine have all been affected by the expanding heat.
Record temperatures were reported in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland, while severe thunderstorms began moving into parts of France, Germany and the Czech Republic.
Storms also caused travel disruption, power outages and damage to infrastructure, leaving around 36,000 households in northern and central France without electricity.
The prolonged heat has strained healthcare systems, disrupted transport networks and affected energy production across the region.
Hungary's Paks nuclear power plant again reduced output because of elevated Danube River temperatures, while Italy's Po River continued to decline, raising concerns for agriculture and protected wetlands.
Germany also reported at least seven fatal swimming accidents over the weekend as many people sought relief in lakes and rivers.
Scientists said the heatwave would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change, while also identifying an omega block weather pattern that trapped hot air over large parts of Europe.
Meteorologists expect cooler conditions to return to much of Western Europe during the week as the heatwave shifts farther into Central Europe and the Balkans.