Key Points

• The heat wave is now over. Météo France placed the island’s two departments under an orange heat wave alert from June 22 to July 2.
• At the regional level, an analysis of emergency department visits using the iCanicule composite health indicator showed the following during the heatwave:
  • An increase in emergency department visits several days before the start of the orange heat wave alert, both across all age groups and among those aged 75 and older. This activity remained stable and sustained throughout the episode and gradually decreased starting on June 30.
  • An increase in the number of heat-related hospitalizations following a visit to the emergency department over the same time period, which also remained stable from the start of the episode.
  • Activity was very low at the SOS Médecins association in Ajaccio.
• The trend in healthcare utilization for the iCanicule indicator suggests that extreme heat remains a significant health risk. It is important not to wait until a significant change in health indicators is observed before implementing the preventive measures recommended by the national heat wave management plan.