Europe faces another heatwave emergency; WHO warns next one has already started

Europe is once again grappling with extreme heat, as Belgium braces for its second official heatwave within a month and southern parts of Portugal and Spain anticipate temperatures soaring to 43 degrees Celsius this week. Belgium's meteorological authorities have extended a yellow heatwave warning, forecasting temperatures well above 30 degrees Celsius from the weekend into the following week. This warning advises residents, particularly the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, to increase fluid intake and seek shade.

Last month's severe heatwave in Belgium saw an excess mortality of 1,222 deaths compared to the average for the season, with numerous daily temperature records being broken. Across Europe, including France, Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands, over 4,700 excess deaths were recorded during June alone, with the actual toll likely higher when considering other affected nations. Hot air masses originating from North Africa, combined with a heat dome over the Atlantic, have already caused intense heatwaves and wildfires in southern France, Spain, and Portugal, with temperatures reaching the high 30s Celsius.

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The next heatwave has already begun.

This heat is now moving northward, causing temperatures to rise rapidly in the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands. In London, the temperature inside Piccadilly line train carriages reached 40 degrees Celsius during the previous heatwave. Deep-level underground lines, which constitute about 60% of the network, lack air-conditioned trains, making them particularly vulnerable to extreme heat. The World Health Organization's European regional office in Copenhagen stated that the "next heatwave has already begun," projecting temperatures above 43 degrees Celsius in southern Portugal and Spain, and over 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Central Asia.

WHO officials described extreme heat as a "public health emergency" and convened an emergency virtual meeting with EU members and 41 other European nations to discuss response strategies. The organization urged greater protection for vulnerable populations, noting that more than half of member states still lack national heatwave response plans. The economic consequences of heatwaves and climate change are also becoming increasingly apparent. The Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) estimates that Italy's GDP could be 2.2% to 6% lower by 2050 without adaptation measures, compared to a scenario with adaptation efforts. Italy's high national debt and low potential growth rate exacerbate these potential economic shocks.

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Extreme heat is not just a weather phenomenon but a public health emergency.