Key Points

• The orange heat wave alert began on August 6. By August 12, it affected 45 departments across 10 regions, covering 54% of the population.

• Analysis of emergency care utilization shows an increase during the heatwave for the composite health indicator iCanicule (heatstroke/hyperthermia, dehydration, hyponatremia). This increase particularly affects people under 15 and those aged 15 to 74 starting on August 9. The use of emergency care by people aged 75 and older has remained stable since August 6.

• The majority of hospitalizations following a visit to the emergency room for iCanicule involve people aged 75 and older (65%).

• The initial health impacts observed underscore that heat poses a health risk, especially since health effects may be delayed by a few days and increase with continuous exposure over several days. It is important to implement preventive measures to protect the population.