Extreme Cold Plan 2024: activated in Paris, where, what is it?

Since January 5, temperatures have dropped by 6 to 7°C on average across the country, under the influence ofa flow of cold air coming from Northern Europe (THE Moscow-Paris). Gradually, the cold will intensify and temperatures will remain below seasonal norms. When temperatures drop and France experiences an episode of extreme coldthe Prefecture can trigger the Extreme Cold Plan to protect more vulnerable. This Plan should be launched on January 8 throughout France, according to BFMTV which cites a government source. But it is already activated in many departments from France as in the Var, in Ariège, in Maine et Loire, in the Oise… Also, since November 2023, the State has increased the human and financial resources devoted to caring for homeless people. These additional means evolve according to the temperature felt at night and the demand expressed (3 levels: cold weather, extreme cold, extreme cold). In the Var, for example, the number of accommodation places for winter 2023-2024 is increased. What does this plan actually consist of? What are his goals ? Where is it launched In France ? To what levels ? Find out everything about this device.

What is the Extreme Cold Plan?

THE Great Cold Plan is a reinforced accommodation system intended for more vulnerable to the cold (homeless, etc.). He can be activated annually from November 1 to March 31 in the event of a cold snap. A cold snap corresponds to a episode of cold weather characterized by its persistence, intensity and geographic extent, inform him website of the Prefecture of the Ile-de-France Region. In this case, temperatures reach values significantly lower than seasonal norms for at least less than two days. In the same way as the Heatwave Plan (triggered during a heat wave), the Extreme Cold Plan aims to limit the health and social impacts linked to cold waves and protect those most exposed.

What are the different levels of the Extreme Cold Plan?

The Severe Cold Plan is made up of three levels of vigilancedepending directly on the daily reading of daytime and nighttime temperatures from Météo France:

• Level 1 (cold weather): positive temperatures during the day, but between zero and -5°C at night;
• Level 2 (very cold): negative temperatures during the day and between -5°C and -10°C at night;
• Level 3 (extreme cold): negative temperatures during the day and below -10°C at night.

What are the dates of the Extreme Cold Plan?

He can be activated annually from November 1 to March 31 in the event of a cold snap.

Is the Extreme Cold Plan activated in Paris?

The Extreme Cold Plan should be activated in Paris the week of January 8, 2024, reports BFMTV, according to a government source. The Extreme Cold system ensures the opening of around a hundred additional places for isolated women, families and men. These reinforcements complete the system allowing nearly 200,000 people to benefit from accommodation in Ile-de-France every evening. Are concerned: buildings not intended for habitation, such as gymnasiums, schools or municipal halls. It also allows a census of people isolated in municipalities as well as adapted reception in hospitals. Marauding will also be reinforced.

What are the objectives of the Extreme Cold Plan?

The objectives of the Severe Cold Plan are to define the actions to be implemented at local and national levels, to detect, prevent and limit the health and social effects linked to winter temperatures and its collateral aspects, paying particular attention to vulnerable populations. Concretely, the Extreme Cold Plan makes it possible to:

► Have additional accommodation places for the most vulnerable people (people on the street for example)

► Establish a list of gymnasiums or rooms in town hall making it possible to accommodate people on the street.

► Strengthen the followed by 115 (Samusocial, emergency number used by homeless people or the population to report a person in distress): the number of listeners at 115 is also increased to respond to the most urgent requests.

► Strengthen marauding teamspedestrian, transported, nocturnal which reaches out to all audiences in the least accessible areas (Bois de Vincennes, quays of the Seine for example)

► Develop a communication system aimed at raising awareness and protecting populations from the health consequences of a prolonged cold period.

Those are the Prefectures of the regions concerned which can decide or not to activate it, relying on weather alerts transmitted by Meteo France. In the event of level 3 “extreme cold”, the police prefect manages the crisis by coordinating all actions in the territory.