Good question.

The last figures are above 13000.

1)First of all , I guess the exeptional caracter of this heat wave is certainly the main reason. Such a high temperature 40°C and above during 2 or 3 weeks didn’t exist in the records.

2) France climate is tempered : not too cold winters and not too hot summers (except this year of course) There fore Air conditionning is not widly used in private homes.

3) August in France is traditionnaly vacation time. It means that hospitals , shelters etc run with reduced staff.

4) Since a decade the different gouvernement , in order to cut the costs have reduced the budget of the hospitals and senior shelters : what a big success.