Heat killed ‘staggering’ 50,000 people in Europe’s cities this summer, scientists warn

Key Points:

• New research estimates that heatwaves killed a record 50,000 people in European cities this summer, with climate change responsible for two-thirds of these deaths due to increased temperatures caused by human activity.
• The study analyzed data from 854 cities, finding that vulnerable populations, especially those over 85, were most affected, and highlighted that heat-related deaths often go unrecorded on death certificates, obscuring the true impact.
• Southern European countries like Malta, Italy, and Hungary experienced the highest death rates, while Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and the UK had the largest absolute numbers of fatalities; urban heatwaves were intensified by social factors such as poverty and isolation.
• Europe’s warming trend, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, is causing more frequent and severe heatwaves, with temperatures rising twice as fast as the global average, leading to projections that heat-related deaths will surpass those prevented by milder winters.
• Experts call for urgent action to reduce fossil fuel emissions, improve healthcare and urban infrastructure, and support vulnerable populations through community outreach and access to cooling to mitigate future heat-related mortality.