More Than 10,000 Die as Europe’s Heatwave Turns Deadly
More than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe during the intense heatwave that swept through the western part of the continent in late June, according to newly released mortality figures.
The data, compiled by EuroMOMO, a mortality monitoring network supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), point to one of the deadliest heat events Europe has experienced in recent years.
The monitoring network estimated 10,650 excess deaths during the week of June 22 to 28, when unusually high temperatures scorched countries including France, Spain, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
More than 9,000 of those deaths were among people aged 65 and above, highlighting the severe impact of extreme heat on older populations.
Medical experts said the sharp rise in deaths closely matched the timing of the heatwave.
Lasse Vestergaard, Chief Physician at Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut, which hosts EuroMOMO, said such a large increase in mortality is highly unusual for that period of the year and is most likely linked to the extreme temperatures.
Health authorities warn that prolonged exposure to intense heat can trigger heatstroke and worsen heart and lung diseases, particularly in elderly people and those with pre-existing health conditions.
Scientists also say climate change played a significant role.
They argue that the late-June heatwave would have been extremely unlikely without human-driven global warming, which continues to make heatwaves across Europe more frequent, longer-lasting and more severe.
The figures represent deaths from all causes reported by 27 European countries rather than only those officially attributed to heat.
Researchers said there were no other major health emergencies, including widespread COVID-19 outbreaks, that could explain the sudden rise in mortality.
The findings came after several weeks in which deaths across the participating countries remained below seasonal averages, making the late-June surge even more striking.
EuroMOMO noted that the figures could still be revised as additional data are submitted by national authorities.
The heatwave disrupted daily life across much of Europe, causing power outages, forcing schools to close and breaking temperature records in several countries.
EuroMOMO reported that France and Belgium recorded very high excess mortality during the final week of June, while Belgium’s public health institute described the country’s death toll as its highest during any heatwave since records began in 2000.
Meanwhile, a separate study published on Monday estimated that about 2,700 people died from heat-related causes during the May and June heatwaves in England and Wales.
Researchers said roughly 42 percent of those deaths were linked to the additional warming caused by climate change.
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