With nearly 3,000 deaths, mortality in Île-de-France more than doubled compared to its normal level during the exceptional heatwave at the end of June, the French Public Health agency reported on Friday July 17 in a regional report, updated with new data.
“A very high excess mortality was observed in Île-de-France (between June 22 and 28) in a context of heat wave,” summarized the health agency in a report published on its site, evoking a variation of “+ 122% or + 1,565 deaths between the expected number of deaths and that observed”. These figures are the most precise to date on the health assessment of the June heatwave in the Paris region, one of the most affected in terms of mortality by this episode, even more intense than the hitherto unequaled one of 2003.
Public Health France had, at the beginning of July, drawn up an initial table of excess mortality during this heatwave. She had mentioned an increase of more than 2,000 deaths throughout France, an increase of around 30% nationally, but of more than 62% in Île-de-France. These figures were, however, very incomplete, based only on electronic death certificates. The trend was also consistent with the previous week, which was already marked by severe heat.
The new estimates, published Friday, are more exhaustive, since they also include paper death certificates. And the given trend corresponds, this time, to the number of additional deaths compared to the mortality expected in normal times.
The over 65s on the front line
With these new elements, the estimated increase is no longer around two thirds, but corresponds to a level more than double compared to normal. “These were mainly people over 65 years old with 82.4% of deaths occurring,” specifies the agency, adding that these new estimates could still be underestimated.
The following week, a brief episode of calm before a new heatwave currently ending, did not see a return to normal, since excess mortality was still more than 200 deaths in Île-de-France, according to Public Health France.
Deaths linked to heatwaves are not limited to just the immediate consequences of heat – dehydration, hyperthermia, etc. – with some effects taking days to be felt. At the beginning of July, when publishing its first estimates of mortality from the June heatwave, Public Health France said it was counting on a more complete assessment at the national level within three weeks.
