Key Points

• The first orange heat wave alert of the summer of 2020 was issued on July 29 and subsequently affected 13 departments in two regions (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté). This episode ended on August 2. Météo France described this episode as an intense heat spike.

• This heat wave, though short-lived, had a significant impact on public health:

  • Analysis of emergency care utilization shows a slight increase across all age groups in the composite health indicator tracked under the national heat wave management plan (iCanicule). The peak in activity was recorded on August 1 in emergency departments (0.77%) and for SOS Médecins consultations (1.09%).

  • This impact primarily affected those aged 75 and older (2.9% of emergency department activity and 3.4% of SOS Médecins activity on August 1).

• No fatal workplace accidents were reported to Santé publique France during this heat wave

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