While this all may seem to be over the top coverage by the media, it does serve a point, and not just to make money. A reminder is clearly needed that over 14000 people died in France in 2003 because:
They were ill equipped to deal with it, owing to a lack of AC in most houses. A bit like here.
In France, 14,802 heat-related deaths (mostly among the elderly) occurred during the heat wave, according to the French National Institute of Health.[6][7] France does not commonly have very hot summers, particularly in the northern areas,[8] but eight consecutive days with temperatures of more than 40 °C (104 °F) were recorded in Auxerre, Yonne in early August 2003.[9] Because of the usually relatively mild summers, most people did not know how to react to very high temperatures (for instance, with respect to rehydration). Most single-family homes and residential facilities were not equipped with central air conditioning. While contingency plans were made for a variety of natural and man-made catastrophes, high temperatures had rarely been considered a major hazard.
2003 European heatwave - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
They were ill equipped to deal with it, owing to a lack of AC in most houses. A bit like here.