The number of drowning accidents increased by 50 percent in the beginning of the summer compared to the same period last year. Between June 1 and July 23, 193 people died, of which 27 were children, according to preliminary figures from the country's health authority.
This is a significant increase, and all the more remarkable given that half of the period falls outside the schools' summer break (which began on July 5), says Aymeric Ung, epidemiologist at the health authority, to Le Monde.
According to the health care authority, the reason is the intense heat that was recorded between mid-June and early July, which led to large numbers of people seeking coolness in the water.
After a relatively cool July, the heat is now returning. Over the weekend, a persistent heat wave is expected to move in over the country's southwestern and central parts with temperatures that often exceed 36 degrees, according to Météo France. The heat wave will reach its peak in the middle of next week when almost the entire country will have an orange warning, which is the second-highest level.
The French health authority fears that the number of drowning accidents will increase with the warm weather.
