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France, currently facing its first heatwave of the year, is experiencing heat waves that are both more frequent and more intense as a result of climate change.
According to Météo France, the current episode constitutes the 48th heat wave (abnormally high temperatures for several consecutive days) on a national scale since 1947. Half have occurred since 2010, a year since which only 2014 and 2021 have not suffered one.
The number of deaths attributable to summer heat, including excluding heatwaves (intense heat for at least three days and three nights), is estimated at around 30,000 between 2017 and 2023, according to a report from the French Public Health Agency published in February 2024.
Reminder of the main heat waves and heat waves in France since the memorable episode of 2003:
2023: Late heat
Despite an often gloomy impression of weather, the summer of 2023 was the fourth hottest observed in France since 1900 and marked by a relatively late heatwave (on a national scale) from August 17 to 24, according to Météo France.
According to Public Health France, the heatwave episodes (at the departmental level) of summer 2023 led to excess mortality of around 750 deaths.
2022: three heatwaves, high excess mortality
“Exceptional and early”. In 2022, France experienced its first heat wave in mid-June, with a peak of 43°C on June 18 in Arcachon (Gironde).
Exactly one month later, 64 local temperature records fell in the western half, with for example 42.6°C in Biscarrosse (Landes) and 39.3°C in Brest (Finistère).
Less intense but longer, the last heatwave of the year affects the South-West during the first half of August.
The human toll from these three heatwaves is the heaviest since that of 2003, with 2,816 “excess deaths” according to Public Health France.
The intense heat, coupled with persistent drought, is causing huge fires, particularly in Gironde, which are destroying an exceptional area of almost 72,000 hectares of forest (government figures).
2020: severe in the north
The summer of 2020 saw two heat waves. One of them, particularly “severe”, hit the north of the country during the first half of August. Normandy, Ile-de-France and Hauts-de-France were on red alert.
These episodes resulted in 1,924 “excess deaths.”
2019: absolute record
The summer of 2019 also saw two heat waves. The first, which began at the end of June, set a new absolute heat record for France: 46°C on June 28 in Vérargues (Hérault). A temperature that is still a record at the present time.
During the second wave, at the end of July, the temperature rose to 42.6°C in Paris, breaking a record set in 1947. These episodes caused 1,462 “excess deaths”.
2018: 1,600 deaths
France experienced a heat wave from July 24 to August 8, which affected the northeast and then the south of the country and caused 1,641 additional deaths.
2015, 2016, 2017: heat sooner or later
In 2015 and 2017, the heat waves were notable for their early occurrence, at the end of June and the beginning of July, while in 2016, the peak was on the contrary late, at the end of August.
Among these three years, the human toll was heaviest in 2015 with 1,739 “excess deaths”.
2006: the sea at 30°
Ten years earlier, France was suffocating under the heat for 21 days in July 2006. The lower Rhone valley was the most affected, with sea temperatures reaching 30°C in Marseille.
This heatwave caused between 1,000 and 2,000 excess deaths.
2003: Murderous summer
The heatwave of August 2003 remains to this day the most severe ever recorded in France, according to Météo-France. The deadliest too, with an estimated 15,000 deaths.
This unprecedented heat highlights dysfunctions in health services and the isolation of the elderly, the main victims of the heatwave. Criticized for not having taken the measure of the crisis, the Minister of Health at the time Jean-François Mattei was replaced in March 2004 by Philippe Douste-Blazy who developed a “heatwave plan”, now in place every year from June 1 to September 15.