WHO chief links 1,300 deaths to European heatwave

Europe is experiencing an unprecedented heatwave, with the World Health Organization reporting over 1,300 excess deaths since June 21. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described extreme heat as a "silent killer" that European infrastructure is ill-equipped to handle.

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There is an excess mortality of more than 1300 associated with high temperatures in Europe since June 21.

Several countries have recorded new temperature highs. Denmark reached 37 degrees Celsius, its highest since 1874, while Germany saw 41.7 degrees. France reported approximately 1,000 excess deaths in just four days, with 85% of those affected being over 65 years old, though the direct link to the heat was not definitively established.

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Heat stress is often called 'the silent killer' – and European homes, workplaces and schools are not built for these temperatures.

Ghebreyesus attributed the extreme weather to climate change, stating that Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average. He noted that heatwaves once considered generational events are now occurring almost annually, driven by global warming. "So we were warned," he stated, emphasizing the predictable nature of these escalating climate impacts.

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Europe is the continent in the world that is warming the fastest. It is warming at twice the speed of the global average.