Key Points

• The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is the only region affected by all four heat waves. During these heat waves, biometeorological alert thresholds were exceeded in all 12 departments of the region. A significant impact on health was observed during these periods:

  • 348 SOS Médecins calls were recorded regionally for the iCanicule indicator, along with 1,322 emergency room visits for the iCanicule indicator, 873 of which resulted in hospitalization. Emergency care visits accounted for up to 2.9% of daily SOS Médecins calls and 1.1% of daily emergency room visits.

  • Over the entire summer period, an estimated 796 deaths (4.1%) were attributable to heat-related causes, of which 440 (55%) occurred during heatwave episodes.

• The health impact of heat is now observed throughout the summer and across all age groups (one in four deaths involves people under 75). It is necessary to anticipate this before heatwaves strike and to adopt a strengthened strategy for mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change, at both the national and regional levels, in light of the expected intensification of these extreme weather events.

• Link to the infographic