France’s ongoing heatwave is taking a growing toll on public health, with the Ministry of Health reporting 25 cardiac arrests in Paris within a 24-hour period on Wednesday, compared with fewer than 10 on a typical day.
In an update released Thursday, health authorities said the first deaths likely linked to the extreme temperatures are beginning to emerge. Officials noted that the victims are not limited to elderly people suffering from dehydration, but also include younger individuals experiencing cardiac arrest.
Nationwide, emergency departments have recorded four times more heat-related admissions than usual, highlighting the mounting pressure on healthcare services.
In response, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the activation of Level 3 of the ORSAN emergency plan, the highest level of health system mobilization. The measure aims to strengthen hospital staffing through the deployment of health reserves, improve coordination between hospitals, clinics, primary care providers and social care services, and adjust hospital operations to ensure adequate treatment of heat-related cases.
Meanwhile, France recorded a new all-time high for overnight temperatures between Wednesday and Thursday, surpassing a record that had already been broken just two days earlier, according to Météo-France.
The heatwave, which has gripped the country for more than a week, reached its peak on Thursday, with 72 departments placed under red alert and 14 others under orange alert.
Weather forecasts indicate temperatures ranging between 40°C and 42°C in several regions over the weekend. Météo-France has also warned of potentially severe thunderstorms that could accompany the gradual easing of extreme heat beginning along the Atlantic coast.
The national weather agency described the current heatwave as comparable in intensity to the deadly summer of 2003, which claimed nearly 15,000 lives in France. It characterized the episode as exceptional in terms of its scale, duration and severity.
