Heat and Health: A Review of Summer 2024.

Published on 11 March 2025 Updated on 11 March 2025

Key Points

The summer of 2024 was 0.7°C warmer than normal, with regional variations, as the Mediterranean region was more severely affected. It ranks as the 8th warmest summer since 1900, according to Météo-France. The main heatwave occurred from July 28 to August 14, affecting 43 departments and 40% of the population for an average duration of 4.7 days.
More than 17,000 emergency care visits related to the iCanicule composite health indicator (including heatstroke, dehydration, and hyponatremia) were recorded during the summer, particularly during heat waves (a twofold increase in emergency room visits and a threefold increase in SOS Médecins consultations). All age groups were affected, particularly people aged 75 and older, who accounted for 52% of emergency room visits and 24% of SOS doctor consultations for the iCanicule indicator.
More than 3,700 deaths were attributable to heat exposure across the entire summer monitoring period, representing over 2% of all-cause mortality observed. During heatwave episodes, more than 600 deaths were attributable to heat exposure, representing over 10% of all-cause mortality observed during these episodes. Deaths were observed across all age groups, but predominantly—and accounting for more than three-quarters—among people aged 75 and older, both throughout the summer and during heatwave episodes.
Seven fatal workplace accidents potentially related to heat were reported by the General Directorate of Labor. These fatal workplace accidents involved men aged 39 to 71. Six of these fatal workplace accidents occurred during professional activities in construction and related trades or in agriculture.
Due to the hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, the distribution of paper-based prevention materials in English was expanded.
In collaboration with the College of General Medicine (CMG), Santé publique France raised awareness among general practitioners regarding the management of heat-vulnerable patients through a newsletter.
The observed health impacts underscore the importance of implementing preventive measures to mitigate the effects of heat, not only during heat waves but throughout the summer, and the need for a strengthened climate change adaptation strategy at both the national and regional levels.