should we fear the worst in the future?

Several episodes of heat have punctuated France since 1947, when 34°C had been recorded in Paris, and where the inhabitants of the capital bathed to cool off somewhat. In 1976, the heat claimed victims: 4,000 people lost their lives. As in each of the heat waves, people then sought to cool down as much as they could. These heat waves hit regularly in the middle of summer, during the months of July and August, but this is no longer necessarily the case today.

If at the time, such phenomena were rather rare, heat waves are gaining momentum and it is becoming almost usual on French territory. Between 1947 and 1989, nine heat wave episodes were counted, compared to no less than 34 between 1989 and 2020. These successive waves claim victims, as during the 2003 heat wave when nearly 15,000 people died due to the insane temperatures observed. This should increase due to climate change, and the end of the century could be very hot.