Public Health Bulletin on Heat Waves: Summer 2022 Summary.

Published on 22 November 2022

Key Points

According to Météo-France, the summer of 2022 ranks as the second-hottest summer recorded in France since the beginning of the 20th century. The 2022 summer monitoring period was marked by three heatwave episodes, two of which placed departments along the Atlantic coast on red alert, and two successive episodes lasting about a dozen days in the Occitanie, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regions.
The 2022 summer monitoring period saw the highest excess mortality since the implementation of the National Heat Wave Plan in 2004:
- 2,816 excess deaths (+16.7%) were observed during these three heatwave episodes in the affected departments.
- The age group of those over 75 was the hardest hit (2,272 excess deaths; +20.2%).
- The relative excess mortality observed in departments under red alert (+19.9%) is higher than in other departments.
- More than 20,000 healthcare visits were recorded throughout the monitoring period for the tracked health indicator (iCanicule, encompassing heatstroke, dehydration, and hyponatremia). These healthcare visits doubled in emergency rooms and tripled for SOS Médecins consultations during heatwaves, compared to periods outside of heatwaves.
During the summer heat waves (over the same periods and in the same areas), 894 deaths linked to the COVID-19 pandemic were recorded. COVID-19 may have increased heat vulnerability for some people, and vice versa.
Seven fatal workplace accidents potentially linked to heat were reported by the General Directorate of Labor. These fatal workplace accidents occurred primarily during outdoor work activities, including 3 in the construction sector.
Over the entire summer monitoring period, 10,420 excess deaths from all causes (+6.1%) were estimated in metropolitan France. A portion of this excess summer mortality is likely due to the population’s exposure to temperatures that did not reach heatwave thresholds. The estimation of this attributable portion is the subject of ongoing research by Santé publique France.
The summer of 2022 follows the trend observed in recent years, during which an increase in exposure to heat waves has been noted, resulting in a rise in associated health impacts. In this context of climate change, discussions on implementing a prevention system throughout the summer will be initiated, and this assessment underscores the need for a strengthened climate change adaptation strategy at both the national and regional levels.