Heat waves or extreme heat can have significant health impacts on all of us, and particularly on the most vulnerable individuals (the elderly, isolated individuals, people with disabilities, those living in precarious circumstances or who are homeless, people with pre-existing medical conditions, pregnant women, young children, outdoor workers, etc.). Climate change is causing a steady rise in temperatures, as well as an increase in the frequency, intensity, and duration of heat waves.

The challenge is to protect the various population groups likely to be affected by heat by encouraging the adoption of protective individual behaviors and through appropriate collective protection measures. To this end, health authorities and all decentralized government services are mobilized to ensure the best possible preparedness and health management of heat waves.

Strong mobilization of government authorities and services

Santé publique France coordinates the Heat Wave and Health Alert System in close collaboration with Météo France to provide decision-making support and, if necessary, adapt prevention and management measures. In this context, and during heat waves, Santé publique France implements health surveillance to provide near-real-time (D+1) information on the impact on emergency care utilization and to determine, in retrospect, the impact on population mortality.

Preparedness and health management for “heat waves” are characterized by the early mobilization of regional government services (prefectures, ARS, etc.). These agencies implement tailored and enhanced prevention and communication initiatives for the general population, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable individuals.
Each municipality may implement local measures, such as establishing a registry to identify elderly individuals and people with disabilities who request to be included. Those registered will be contacted and monitored during periods of extreme heat.

Météo-France Weather Watch

The Weather Watch is presented as a two-part map (the first for the current day and the second for the following day), updated at least twice daily at 6 a.m. and 4 p.m., along with follow-up bulletins describing the current event and its potential consequences. This information is available on the Météo-France website.

Météo-France’s Weather Watch system indicates the level of danger using four colors (green, yellow, orange, red). For each heat wave:

• The yellow weather alert level corresponds to a heat spike: short-term exposure (1 or 2 days) to intense heat posing a risk to human health, particularly for vulnerable or overexposed populations due to their working conditions or physical activity.

• The orange weather alert level corresponds to a heatwave: a period of intense heat during which the IBM (biometeorological index: a combination of average minimum and maximum temperatures over three days) reaches or exceeds departmental thresholds for 3 consecutive days and nights, and which is likely to pose a health risk to the entire exposed population.

• The red weather alert level corresponds to an extreme heat wave: a heat wave that is exceptional in terms of its duration, intensity, and geographic extent, with a significant health impact on all segments of the population, and which leads to collateral effects, particularly in terms of business continuity.

For real-time updates on weather conditions, you can check the Météo-France Weather Watch map, which is updated at least twice a day at 6 a.m. and 4 p.m.

A "Heat Wave" information hotline, available at 0 800 06 66 66 (toll-free from a landline in France), is activated in the summer starting with the first heatwave by the Directorate General for Health (toll-free from a landline in France, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.) to answer questions and provide information on health recommendations to follow during periods of extreme heat.

Check out the prevention tips and resources developed by the Ministry of Health and Prevention and Santé publique France.