FOCUS – Heat waves are generally responsible for several thousand hospitalizations and deaths.
This week, France will experience a major heat wave, which could be declared as a heat wave in some departments. Arrived in France from the South-West, the heat dome will move to settle above France between Wednesday 15 and Friday 17, or even until Saturday 18 June.
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Tuesday, ten departments of the South-West were placed in heat wave yellow vigilance by Météo France. On Wednesday, very high temperatures will be observed in the South-West and high temperatures will spread throughout the territory. On Thursday, peaks could reach 41°C in New Aquitaine and Languedoc. Finally, Friday could be the hottest day of this period.
Warning signs
Faced with this probable episode of heat wave, Santé Publique France, during a press briefing by Météo France on Tuesday June 14, provided some advice to follow during this type of episode. As a reminder, the heat wave is potentially dangerous for everyone’s health, in particular for that of particularly fragile people such as the over 65s, pregnant women and people who suffer from chronic illnesses.
“These heat waves are generally responsible for several thousand hospitalizations and deaths.“, Public Health alert France. The organization recalls that it is crucial not to wait for the appearance of the first warning signs, such as the absence of urine for 5 hours, puffs of sweat when drinking a glass of water, the appearance cramps or a general state of fatigue, the onset of headaches…
Preventive measures to apply
If these signs appear, it is necessary to apply the preventive measures below:
- Drink water very regularly, even if you are not thirsty.
- Stay cool,which means avoiding going out during the hottest hours; keep your accommodation cool by closing windows and shutters during the day, and if this is impossible go to a cool place“, lists Public Health France.
- Avoid physical exertion during the hottest hours, as far as possible.
Contradictory gestures with the Covid-19?
“These measures are a priority, especially since the episode, which is about to start, is early. Therefore the organisms are not yet adapted or accustomed to the heat“, adds Public Health France. However, these recommendations may conflict with those applied during the Covid-19 period, where it is advisable to ventilate the room as much as possible. Santé Publique France then affirms that it wishes to favor heat wave prevention, by reinforcing in parallel the other barrier gestures against Covid-19, such as hand washing or physical distancing.