Heatwave drives excess deaths in France as government orders 30,000 air conditioners for hospitals

France is grappling with a severe heatwave that has pushed mortality above normal levels, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist told La Tribune on Saturday. The country’s meteorological service kept 24 departments under a red heatwave vigilance warning and another 41 under orange alert as of Sunday, reflecting the extent of the exceptional episode.

Excess mortality confirmed

We are observing a number of deaths higher than normal.

The minister cited direct links between the extreme heat and a rise in fatalities, noting that the full toll will only become clear once paper death certificates are processed, with only 60% currently submitted electronically. She said the government would communicate the figures “in transparency” as soon as reliable data are available.

Delayed health effects

Rist stressed that the impact of the heatwave is far from over, describing a “delayed effect” that can bring frail people and even younger individuals to emergency rooms five to ten days after peak temperatures.

The extreme heat of recent days acts with a delayed effect, especially on vulnerable people but also on some younger individuals, who arrive in emergency rooms sometimes five to ten days after the heatwave.

For chronic patients, she added, the effect can last several weeks, meaning hospital strain is likely to persist well after the heatwave subsides.

Hospital pressure and outlook

The minister said she expects mortality for this period to be higher than a year ago and that the health system will remain under pressure.

For chronic patients, this effect can last several weeks, and I expect that the tension on the hospital system will continue after temperatures drop.

She had already warned on Friday that deaths linked to the heatwave, especially at home, were likely in the coming days.

Emergency cooling measures

On Rist’s recommendation, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu approved an order for 30,000 air conditioners for hospitals, while the health ministry released a €100 million envelope to fund emergency cooling equipment.

I have released an envelope of 100 million euros to finance emergency cooling tools, supplementary air conditioners, fans.

The goal, she said, is for the air conditioners to be delivered during the summer.