Heatwaves Across Europe Linked to Thousands of Excess Deaths, Study Finds
European heatwaves this summer are estimated to have caused thousands of excess deaths, with climate change contributing to a significant share of the fatalities, officials said.
Recent heatwaves in Europe have been associated with a rise in excess mortality, according to health and weather officials. In England and Wales, the national weather service estimates that more than 2,700 deaths were linked to the extreme temperatures, and it attributes roughly 42% of those deaths to climate-change influences. The same period has seen heightened wildfire activity in Spain, Portugal and France, prompting concerns about further public-health impacts.
"Climate-change-fueled heat that is claiming lives, disrupting schools and hospitals and shutting down transport and infrastructure," said Clair Barnes, an extreme-weather specialist at Imperial College London.
Europe has been identified as the fastest-warming continent over the past three decades, a trend that researchers say is intensifying the frequency and severity of heat events.