Key Points

• The first heat wave of the summer occurred from July 7 to 13, 2023, and affected 21 departments

• At least 80 excess deaths from all causes (+3.8%) were estimated during this heat wave in the affected departments. This initial estimate, made two weeks after the end of the heat wave, is based on incomplete mortality data. (Data as of July 31).

• Two fatal workplace accidents potentially linked to the heat were reported by the General Directorate of Labor to Santé publique France regarding the departments and periods affected by the observed heatwave.

• Beyond this first heatwave of the summer, the French population has been exposed to heat since the beginning of June (the second-hottest June since 1900). Thus, this estimate does not reflect the full impact of the heat on health.

• Heat remains more than ever a health risk in the context of climate change, including outside of heatwave periods, requiring the implementation of management and prevention measures to reduce the impact of heat on the population.