Europeans, particularly in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, are facing days of stifling heat, as the mass of hot air moves eastward away from France, which has begun counting its dead as temperatures there ease. At least 191 million people are expected to be affected by temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius.
Record temperatures were recorded on Saturday in several European countries, including Denmark (37°C), the Czech Republic (40.6°C) and Germany (41.5°C), where the maximum overnight temperature recorded in Kubschütz on Saturday night into Sunday reached 29.4°C, compared with 27.2°C in August 2003.
In Berlin, police are once again using water hoses to ease the burden of the intense heat. In France, only two regions in the far east of the country remain under a red alert, which is expected to be lifted within hours.
French authorities have begun counting the additional deaths that may be attributed to the historic heatwave that has gripped the country for 11 days. A death toll approximately 1,000 above the normal level has been recorded since June 24, when temperatures began exceeding 40°C.
France's Public Health Agency indicated that the phenomenon has disproportionately affected those over 65 years of age, who account for 85% of cases. It noted that deaths at home recorded the highest increase, at 40%, particularly in the Île-de-France region, which encompasses Paris and its suburbs.
Philippe Jouvin, head of the emergency department at the Pompidou Hospital in France, one of the largest medical institutions in Paris, said he expects the toll to be very heavy in all likelihood. In remarks to France Info, he said: