Heat Wave – Situation as of July 15, 2015An early heat wave affected France between June 29 and July 8, 2015, leading to the issuance of an orange alert in 51 departments at the peak of the heat wave (Friday, July 3). The Auvergne region was particularly affected by this heat wave. The departments of Allier and Puy-de-Dôme were placed under an orange alert starting on June 29 and remained so throughout this period. Cantal and Haute-Loire also reached this alert level on July 1 and remained at that level until July 8. The national epidemiological report indicates a significant increase in healthcare utilization for conditions directly linked to the heat (hyperthermia/heatstroke, dehydration, and hyponatremia), with 3,577 emergency room visits (representing 1% of total coded activity in emergency departments, compared to approximately 0.3% last month), including 1,988 hospitalizations (56% of heat-related visits). These visits are more prevalent among those over 75 years of age, and 76% of them resulted in hospitalization. Regarding outpatient care, there were 1,464 SOS Médecins consultations related to heat (2.5% of the total coded activity of the associations). Visits for dehydration and hyponatremia primarily involved older adults, while visits for hyperthermia/heatstroke were more common among children and adults under 75. At the regional level, there were 21 diagnoses made by the SOS Médecins Clermont-Ferrand association during weeks 27 and 28, and 108 emergency room visits in the region participating in the program during this period. Several facilities, including the Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital, reported difficulties in admitting these patients and activated their protocols to open additional beds. Regarding mortality, initial estimates show a national excess mortality of 700 deaths (+7%) during week 27 (June 29 to July 5). These estimates will be finalized for the entire episode in the coming days (data as of July 15, 2015). According to preliminary findings, 80% of this excess is concentrated in 9 metropolitan regions. No excess mortality was observed in 13 regions during the same period. In particular, the Auvergne region recorded a higher-than-expected number of deaths during week 27. This excess is moderate (nearly 40 deaths) and accounts for 5% of the national excess of 700 deaths. This moderate increase in mortality can be partly explained by the heat wave that affected the region.