A Paris official has blamed US greenhouse gas emissions and the country's widespread reliance on air conditioning for contributing to the deadly heatwave sweeping across Europe, as France continues to assess the human cost of record-breaking temperatures that have claimed more than 1,300 excess deaths since late June.
Over the past few weeks, Europe has endured one of its most intense periods of extreme heat in recent history. Temperatures climbed above 40C in several areas after the heatwave began on 20 June, with France among the countries hit hardest.
