France's Hidden Heat Crisis: 33,000 Deaths Per Year, Mostly Elderly

France records 33,000 heat-related deaths annually—nearly three times the 11,700 counted during official heatwaves. About 70 percent involve people over 75, a population swelling through the 2030s. The gap reveals how monitoring methods differ: tracking extreme episodes versus year-round heat stress. As climate heat rises and age demographics shift, whether prevention can keep pace remains an open question.