Europe’s Deadly Heatwaves: Thousands Killed by Climate Change

This summer, Europe endured its fourth-hottest season on record, with extreme temperatures reaching 46°C in Spain and Portugal.

Researchers from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine analyzed 854 cities and estimated around 24,400 heat-related deaths during June to August, with approximately 16,500 directly attributed to human-driven climate change.

Older adults were most at risk, and the majority of deaths occurred indoors among people with preexisting health conditions.

Cities with the highest tolls included Rome (835), Athens (630), and Paris (409). Some outdoor deaths were widely reported, such as a former councillor in Spain and a father in Italy.

Researchers stressed that heat-related mortality is often underreported, as it rarely appears on death certificates, and warned the actual toll could be higher.