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Deadly heatwave grips Europe: New death toll estimate reaches 12,000
🇬🇷 Greece /Disasters & Emergencies

Deadly heatwave grips Europe: New death toll estimate reaches 12,000

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • At least 12,000 additional deaths were recorded in about ten European countries during an unprecedented heatwave in June, according to data compiled by AFP.
  • The European mortality platform EuroMOMO shows a significant increase in excess mortality, with preliminary estimates suggesting over 14,000 additional deaths across 24 countries.
  • Health officials warn that summer is not over and many governments still treat heat as a meteorological phenomenon rather than a health emergency, despite tools to prevent such deaths.

An unprecedented heatwave in June caused at least 12,000 additional deaths across approximately ten European countries, according to data compiled by Agence France-Presse (AFP) from national records. This toll remains preliminary.

Summer is not over. We have the tools to prevent these deaths.

— Hans KlugeWHO Regional Director for Europe warning about the ongoing heatwave and the need for preventative measures.

Between June 22 and 28, at the peak of the heatwave, around 10,000 excess deaths were registered in seven countries: Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Luxembourg, according to their respective national institutes. An additional 2,200 deaths in England and Wales were attributed to the heat by the UK's Met Office for the period of June 18 to 28.

Preliminary data from the European mortality platform EuroMOMO indicates a significant rise in excess mortality during the last week of June. EuroMOMO's model, which uses data from 24 countries with a population of nearly 400 million, estimates 14,260 excess deaths. "Summer is not over," warned Hans Henri Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, emphasizing that "we have the tools to prevent these deaths." He noted that "many governments still consider heat a meteorological phenomenon rather than a health emergency."

Many governments still consider heat a meteorological phenomenon rather than a health emergency.

— Hans KlugeWHO Regional Director for Europe highlighting a disconnect in how governments perceive and respond to heatwaves.

"As far as we know, there are no other causes for this excess mortality than heat, and this is tragic," Lasse Vestegaard, an epidemiologist at Denmark's Statens Serum Institut and EuroMOMO coordinator, told AFP. He cautioned that the data is provisional and requires about four weeks to solidify. Calculation methods for excess deaths vary by country. In Spain, the system attributed 610 deaths to heat between June 22 and 28, with nearly two-thirds affecting those over 85. Germany recorded 5,780 excess deaths in the 26th week compared to the four-year average, and the Robert Koch Institute reported more heat-related deaths this summer than in the previous six years. France saw over 2,000 excess deaths in the 26th week, while Belgium registered 753 excess deaths on June 27-28 alone, and 1,747 from June 18 to July 1, a 21st-century national record for a heatwave.

As far as we know, there are no other causes for this excess mortality than heat, and this is tragic.

— Lasse VestegaardEpidemiologist at Statens Serum Institut and EuroMOMO coordinator commenting on the direct link between heat and excess deaths.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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