The heat wave did a lot of damage in France in July. On the one hand, it aggravated the drought, but it also had consequences for the health of the French people. According to estimates from Public Health France, published on Wednesday August 2, there were at least 80 more deaths than normal during the few days of heat wave that hit the country in early July. A first assessment that remains to be consolidated. “At least 80 excess deaths from all causes – 3.8% – were estimated during this heat wave in the departments concerned”, summarized the public health agency in a press release.
A phenomenon whose frequency is amplified by global warming, a heat wave is defined by a period of prolonged heat without interruption for several days. One of them hit around 20 French departments between July 7 and 13, one of many global demonstrations in a month rated as the hottest in the history of the planet. These departments, which bring together a fifth of the metropolitan population, are found in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Corse, Grand Est and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regions.
Public Health France estimates are still preliminary in several respects. They are based, for example, on mortality data which are not yet complete. Above all, they do not accurately assess deaths directly due to heat waves. They only allow, for the moment, to indicate to what extent the total number of deaths exceeded the normal during this period.
