Heat wave: “The situation is extremely tense” but the hospital “will hold out” assures Aurélien Rousseau

2023-08-21 13:06:48

France is experiencing “the hottest episode of summer 2023”, announced Météo France. A “lasting and intense” heat wave settled over a large part of France, 50 departments were placed on orange vigilance for a heat wave by the meteorological organization on Monday. Faced with this situation, while the emergency situation “is extremely tense”, the hospital “will hold”, assured this morning on BFMTV the Minister of Health Aurélien Rousseau.

“There is absolutely no denial, the situation in the hospital is extremely tense, acknowledged the minister. We are on a crest line in many services, (…) there are great difficulties, no one denies it. “Of the 680 emergency services spread over the territory, “40 are partially closed”, he indicated.

But the minister also wanted to insist on “another reality”. “There is an organization on the territory which makes it possible to take charge of the vital risks of all our fellow citizens. We learned from what we experienced in the summer of 2022, and today the cooperation between the city doctors and the hospital is better, ”he said.

Thanks to this health system, and because “caregivers, medical and paramedical staff and non-caregivers give the best of themselves”, the hospital “will hold”, assured Aurélien Rousseau. Friday already, on France newshe had maintained that “the hospital will face” the heat wave episode which has set in, believing that the situation is not “more serious than in 2022”.

Departments could switch to red vigilance

While temperature records were broken on Sunday, others should also be broken on Tuesday and Wednesday, particularly in the Rhône valley, warns Météo France, estimating that the heat wave peak will be observed “around Wednesday”. Faced with this situation, the Minister of Health spoke on BFMTV of the “fear, for tomorrow, of having to switch to red vigilance in part of the departments of the Rhône Valley, with 40 to 42 degrees expected”.

Drôme, Ardèche, Gard, Vaucluse could be concerned. “We could reach temperature levels never before measured in France,” warned Aurélien Rousseau. It will be necessary to wait until the weekend for the rain and thunderstorms to cool the territory.

Météo France described this “intense and lasting heatwave episode” as “particularly late for the season”. Nationwide, this is the “hottest summer of 2023”. In question ? The current meteorological configuration creates a “heat dome”, “with the high pressures which block the heat”, explained to AFP the reference institute. “The second ingredient is global warming, which increases the probability of having high temperatures so late. »