Heat in Europe killed more than 50,000 people this summer
An international team of researchers has estimated that the summer of 2026 was the deadliest for Europe in decades. In the cities of 27 EU countries, the UK, Norway and Switzerland, 50.4 thousand deaths were associated with heat. This is almost twice the figure in 2022, when about 29 thousand people died.
An international team of researchers has estimated that the summer of 2026 was the deadliest for Europe in decades. In the cities of 27 EU countries, the UK, Norway and Switzerland, 50.4 thousand deaths were associated with heat. This is almost twice the figure in 2022, when about 29 thousand people died.
Experts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Imperial College London studied data from 854 cities, where about 40% of the population of these countries lives. They compared June, July and August 2026 temperatures with historical mortality statistics and singled out heat-related deaths rather than other causes.
Nearly two-thirds of the cases, or 32,619 deaths, were attributed to human-induced warming, including the burning of coal, oil and gas. The biggest losses were in Italy, France, Spain and Germany. About a third of all deaths occurred in the heat wave from June 17 to July 1. During this period, the average temperature exceeded the norm by 5.3 ° C.
Most people did not die from heat stroke. Heat overloads the heart and blood vessels and increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and respiratory failure. The most difficult were the elderly, children and patients with chronic diseases. According to scientists, about 6 thousand deaths were under 65 years of age.
Climatologist Claire Barnes from Imperial College noticed that in some European cities the temperature exceeded the norm by 12 ° C. Infrastructure of Western and Northern Europe is not designed for such values. Many homes do not have air conditioning, and streets and buildings do not protect against overheating.
The authors acknowledge that the assessment is incomplete. The calculations did not include the May heat wave and did not count people outside the cities. Even these figures show the scale of the problem. The researchers advise cities to adapt more, plant more trees, create green spaces, reduce air pollution and provide health care for at-risk populations.
Winter will hit the purses of Britons the hardest in Europe
Reliable news is always at hand - in the channel "MK" in MAX
