Key points

• In mainland France, the summer of 2022 ranks as the second-hottest summer recorded since the beginning of the 20th century (source: Météo-France). It was marked by three heatwave periods, defined by temperatures exceeding biometeorological alert thresholds, affecting the Atlantic coast, Occitanie, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Other extreme weather events such as drought, wildfires, thunderstorms, and a heatwave in the Mediterranean Sea were also observed. Health monitoring yielded the following results:

  • An estimated 2,816 excess deaths (+17%), all causes combined, occurred during heat waves in the departments affected by these episodes. This represents the highest excess mortality since the implementation of the National Heat Wave Plan in 2004. People aged 75 and older account for the vast majority of these excess deaths (+20% estimated excess deaths in this age group).

  • 680 SOS Médecins consultations for heatstroke and dehydration and 2,060 emergency room visits for hyperthermia, dehydration, and hyponatremia were recorded in the regions affected by heatwave episodes.

• The Occitanie region was one of the regions affected by the three successive heat waves between June and August 2022. During these heatwave episodes, exceedances of biometeorological alert thresholds were observed in 10 departments representing 86% of the population, including 4 during the first episode (31, 46, 65, 81), in 7 departments during the second episode (12, 30, 31, 34, 46, 66, 81), and in 9 departments during the third episode (11, 12, 30, 31, 34, 65, 66, 81, 82). The health impact during these heatwave periods is as follows:

  • 509 excess deaths, all causes combined, were estimated in the departments where biometeorological alert thresholds were exceeded, representing a relative excess mortality rate of +17%. As at the national level, people aged 75 and older were the most affected in terms of deaths.

  • 214 SOS Médecins consultations for heatstroke and dehydration and 926 emergency room visits for hyperthermia, dehydration, and hyponatremia were recorded. Among the emergency room visits, 553 were followed by hospitalization (hospitalization rate: 58%). Although all age groups were affected, emergency room visits primarily involved people aged 75 and older, while SOS Médecins consultations primarily involved those aged 15–74.