Key Points

In its heat wave advisory issued on July 18, 2016, at 4:00 p.m., Météo-France placed a total of 12 departments in mainland France under an orange heat wave alert (+5 compared to the previous day) and 53 departments under a yellow heat wave alert (+17 compared to the previous day).

For yesterday, a nationwide increase was observed in the number of people seeking medical care for conditions directly related to the heat at emergency rooms and SOS Médecins clinics. Of the 203 emergency room visits recorded nationwide (0.6% of total activity and 1.6% among those over 75), 31 visits occurred in departments under an orange alert (1.1% of total activity and 2.1% among those over 75) and 100 visits in departments under a yellow alert (0.6% of total activity and 1.5% among those over 75). Similarly, at SOS Médecins, there were 103 consultations (0.7% of total activity), including 5 in departments under an orange alert and 78 in departments under a yellow alert.

Emergency room visits for hyperthermia/heatstroke and dehydration, as well as SOS Médecins consultations for heatstroke, are most common among children and adults under 75. Among those over 75, there is a higher number of visits for dehydration and hyponatremia.

In regions where Météo-France has issued an orange and/or yellow heat wave alert, these figures remain comparable to the data observed for the season.

Additionally, the SOS Médecins association in Bordeaux reported an increase in heat-related cases in the Gironde department (yellow alert). In the PDL and ALPC regions, two heat-related cases were identified at a summer camp and a scout camp.