Key Points

• The summer of 2024 was 0.7°C warmer than the average for the three summer months from 1991 to 2010, with regional variations, as the Mediterranean region was the most affected. Météo France ranks it as the 8th hottest summer since 1900 at the national level. In Occitanie, the main heatwave occurred from July 28 to August 14, and 7 departments were particularly affected (including the 4 departments along the Mediterranean coast).

• Nationally, more than 17,000 emergency care visits related to the iCanicule composite health indicator (including heatstroke, dehydration, and hyponatremia) were recorded during the summer (15,000 emergency room visits, 70% of which were followed by hospitalization, and nearly 2,500 SOS Médecins consultations). Although all age groups were affected, people aged 75 and older accounted for more than half of the iCanicule-related emergency room visits. More than 3,700 deaths were attributable to heat exposure across the entire summer monitoring period, representing more than 2% of all-cause mortality observed. During heatwave episodes, more than 600 deaths were attributable to heat exposure, representing over 10% of all-cause mortality observed during these episodes. More than three-quarters of these deaths involved people aged 75 and older.

• In Occitanie, more than 1,200 emergency room visits (68% of which were followed by hospitalization) and 220 SOS Médecins calls for the iCanicule indicator were recorded during the summer. Heatwave days accounted for 5% and 11% of these cases, respectively. During these episodes, half of the visits and interventions for iCanicule involved people aged 75 or older. This age group also accounted for nearly three-quarters of hospitalizations for iCanicule. Over the course of the summer, nearly 440 heat-related deaths were estimated, including about 100 during heatwave episodes. Just over three-quarters of these heat-related deaths involved people aged 75 and older.

• In collaboration with the College of General Practitioners (CMG), Santé publique France raised awareness among general practitioners about how to care for heat-vulnerable patients through a newsletter.

• The observed health impacts underscore the importance of implementing preventive measures to reduce the impact of heat, not only during heat waves but throughout the summer, and the need for a strengthened strategy for climate change mitigation and adaptation at both the national and regional levels.