Extreme Heatwaves: Are we better prepared now?

That was twenty years ago. Between August 1 and 20, 2003, extreme temperatures hit France. Toll: 15,000 dead. This heatwave episode revealed many flaws, in particular the unpreparedness of the public authorities.

Since then, extreme climatic episodes have multiplied around the world. In France, the record temperatures of the time have been exceeded on several occasions. But are we better prepared?

More and more intense and frequent temperature records

The heat wave dubbed Cerberus, which raised mercury across Europe in early July 2023, is receding. But the respite will only be short-lived since Charon arrives in turn, raising fears of new records. Scientists repeat it year after year: these phenomena are more and more numerous, more and more intense and more and more precocious.

“The temperatures we are experiencing right now are not normal temperatures”more “the proof of this climate disruption which unfortunately is accelerating”reaffirmed, Tuesday, July 18, the Minister of Ecological Transition, Christophe Béchu, taking the opposite view of his colleague in Agriculture, Marc Fesneau.

Last year, at the same time, Météo France indicated that, among 45 heat waves recorded since 1947, 21 had taken place during the last twelve years. In June 2022, the temperatures recorded in certain departments had never been reached, exceeding the peak of the famous heat wave of 2003: 40.4°C in Carcassonne, 40°C in Saintes, 38.8°C in Narbonne…

Among the twenty hottest days recorded in France since the post-war period, eight have been between 2018 and 2022. And Météo France fears that the mercury will rise even higher, during the peak which is announced this third week July 2023, locally exceeding 41°C in certain areas of Var, Hérault and Pyrénées-Orientales.

Health: progress in the alert, an overheated system

Twenty years ago, it was the emergency services that sounded the alarm about the consequences of the heat wave. An alert heard very late, since the general mobilization of hospitals was only decreed on August 14, after two weeks of abnormally high temperatures.

Is the healthcare system now better prepared to deal with this type of event? Not sure. “Lessons have certainly been learned with the implementation of heat wave plans each summerestimates the resuscitator doctor Arnaud Chiche, founder, three years ago, of the collective Health in danger. But, in general, the health system is worse off: the medical deserts have worsened, entire services are forced to close or restrict their activity during the summer, for lack of personnel, and the government still does not take into account the problems of attractiveness of our professions. »

In nursing homes, the situation is hardly better. Air-conditioned rooms and better information on the risks of hyperthermia for residents have been put in place in many establishments. But this progress does not compensate for the chronic shortage of personnel in the sector.

“Twenty years after the heat wave of 2003, the results are gloomy and the prospects uncertain, for lack of a law on autonomy”, deplores the Association of Directors Serving the Elderly (AD-PA), which castigates “the negligence of the authorities”. In fact, if “blue plans” can be triggered in nursing homes during heat waves, promoting prevention, the elderly who live at home do not benefit from the same devices.

In Europe, how cities seek to adapt

While urban areas account for around 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions, they must combine mitigation and adaptation efforts. “The majority of French and European cities (…) were not designed to cope with high temperatures”, summarizes the CNRS. In question, in particular, the heat islands.

To remedy this, revegetation is one of the avenues favored by cities. According to a study published in the journal The Lancet in February 2023, planting trees in urban areas would reduce premature deaths caused by heat waves by a third. Plants not only absorb part of the sun’s radiation but also provide shade. Some cities are also tackling materials. Paris City Hall is thus planning to lighten its roads and make them more permeable.

Finally, in the fight against heat, water remains one of the best allies. Cities are therefore increasing the number of water points. But there remains, in the long term, the problem of housing, too often the cause of social segregation. A vast construction site.

Work and heat: no restrictive measure weighs on employers

Periods of intense heat can have serious effects on the health of employees and increase the risk of accidents. On the legislative side, the employer has the obligation to put in place appropriate means to ensure the safety of his employees such as “fresh, free water near workplaces and in sufficient quantity; correct ventilation of work premises in accordance with regulations; means of protection against high heat and/or cooling, informing (his staff) of the evolution of the situation and making them aware of good practices against high heat”, recalls, on its website, the Ministry of the Economy.

Companies are also required to assess the risks that exist in terms of employee health and safety with the single occupational risk assessment document. According to article L4131-1 of the Labor Code, employees benefit from a right of withdrawal which allows them to leave their workspace in the event that it presents “a serious and imminent danger to (their) life or (their) health”.

This can be the case in extreme heat. Except that, a gray area of ​​the legislation, the National Institute for Research and Security recalled, in 2022, that there is still no “no indication of maximum temperature beyond which it would be dangerous or prohibited to work” in the legal texts.

On June 8, Christophe Béchu presented a heat wave management plan. No binding measure weighs on employers except the “reinforcement of labor inspection controls” by which “they will be asked to adapt the organization of work in anticipation of high temperatures”.