A heatwave in France caused 700 more deaths than average in the week ending June and beginning July, the French Health Ministry said Thursday, according to dpa. The 7 per cent rise in fatalities from June 29 to July 5 included deaths from the heat, as well as those by drowning and other indirect causes, said Health Minister Marisol Touraine. This year's soaring temperatures, reaching 40 degrees in many locations, had a more muted effect than in previous heatwaves, Touraine said. More than 15,000 added deaths were reported in the summer of 2003 - 55 per cent more than average. The government has since enacted new safety measures during extended hot spells. This year, television commercials warned viewers of the effects of higher temperatures and provided tips for actions to take during the heatwave.
