Reply #28: Let's see...

[MiltonLeBerle]

a lot of elderly, even very elderly people living alone, who aren't used to hot weather at all, and may not know how to respond
-shutting the drapes and windows in hopes of making it "shady" is a deadly mistake that lots of elderly people make in the U.S. even.
Add to that that almost nobody has AC- not even window units, let alone something as extravagant as central air in a country where the average august temparature rarely breaks 80.
People are more accustomed to drinking a glass of wine than a glass of cold water.
Add to that it's august, and most of France is "on vacation" so there are fewer people around to check in on elderly relatives and neighbors, and even health services are stretched thin.
This heat is nothing remotely close to normal, and it's like a "perfect storm" of causes.