An increase in mortality in the middle of a heat wave. At least 60 more deaths than normal were recorded in France during the heatwave which struck from September 3 to 11, according to estimates from the French public health agency published on Wednesday, a balance sheet which remains to be consolidated.
This episode of late heat, exceptional in its intensity and duration according to Météo-France, affected nearly 30% of the metropolitan population, in 17 departments in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Brittany and Centre-Val-de-Loire regions. , Normandy, Pays-de-la-Loire, Hauts-de-France, Ile-de-France and New Aquitaine.
Heat caused the deaths of 30,000 to 35,000 people in France between 2014 and 2022
The impacts on mortality vary according to the departments due in particular to the duration and intensity of the episode, but also to the period of occurrence and the type of population affected. During the first heatwave of the summer (July 7 to 13), at least 80 excess deaths from all causes were estimated in France, during the second (July 17 to 26), at least 30, and during the third (August 11 to 26), almost 400 more than normal.
These estimates are still preliminary, as they are based on data that is not yet complete. Above all, they do not accurately assess deaths directly due to heatwaves. For the moment, they only allow us to indicate to what extent all deaths exceeded normal during this period.
Heat in summer, including outside heatwave periods, caused the deaths of 30,000 to 35,000 people in France between 2014 and 2022, according to a previous study by the health agency. Europe is the continent experiencing the greatest warming, up to 1°C more than the global average.