In August 2003, France baked. A record-breaking heat wave swept the country for two weeks, pushing the thermometer up to 111.4 degrees Fahrenheit. More than 15,000 people – mostly old people, and often lonely old people – had died because of the unusual heat, they discovered. The country was mortified.
This year, summer struck with a vengeance again; temperatures reached a national record of 114.8 F. But this time the death toll did not exceed 1,462, according to just-released official figures. This year the government unleashed a flood of leaflets, posters, radio and TV spots, and internet advertisements warning people about the heat wave and advising them how to cope with its effects.
The heat wave plan, which has been refined over the past 15 years, is built on careful forecasting by the national meteorological service and widespread diffusion of those forecasts so the public and officialdom can prepare for any unusually hot weather. The plan sets four levels of preparedness, from keeping a special eye out between June 1 and Sept. 15 up to “maximum mobilization” declared by the prime minister.
