2003 HEAT WAVE, A DEADLY SUMMER

From exceptional to tragic

Synopsis

In August 2003, France experienced an exceptional heat wave, the longest ever recorded since the creation of meteorological records in 1873.

However, at that time, nobody really grasped what was happening.

From exceptional, the heat wave became tragic. In 2 weeks, 14,802 people passed away because of the heat, mostly elderly people dying alone at home or in hospitals, revealing their loneliness.