Key Points

• Between August 9 and August 16, 20.1% of the population was subject to an orange alert, and 65.1% to a yellow alert. All orange alerts were lifted on August 14.

• The share of the iCanicule composite indicator (hyperthermia, dehydration, and hyponatremia) in the total coded activity of emergency services and SOS Médecins associations remained above 0.5% for all age groups during the alert periods. It has been decreasing since August 14 but has not yet returned to the usual summer levels seen outside of heatwaves.

• In weeks 27 to 29 (July 4–24), at the national level, the Sursaud® non-specific surveillance system for emergencies and deaths observed an excess mortality rate from all causes of approximately +20%.

• A specific assessment of the impact of heat waves on mortality will be published in September based on consolidated data, taking into account all summer heat waves and the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic.

• The observed health impacts demonstrate that heat is a health risk. It is important to implement the preventive measures recommended by the national heat wave management plan.