Key Points

A heat wave triggering the yellow and orange alert levels specified in the National Heat Wave Plan (PNC) affected 87% of the metropolitan population between June 17 and 25, 2017. The health impacts observed during this early heatwave underscore the importance of strengthening prevention measures in the workplace and among the elderly. This heatwave affected the Centre-Val de Loire region from June 19 to 23, with:

• An atypical weather situation with a heatwave occurring earlier than in 2015, affecting all departments in the region.

• An observed number of deaths slightly higher than expected for the general population from all causes and among people aged 75 and older. A notable increase in the 15–64 age group.

• An observed impact on morbidity through the use of heat-related emergency care (103 emergency room visits and 28 SOS Médecins consultations for heat-related conditions, affecting all age groups, were recorded during the heat wave). The number of heat-related diagnoses is known to increase proportionally with temperature and to have a minor impact on overall healthcare provision (in the range of a few percent).