Europe Records Over 10,000 Heatwave Deaths in Historic June Heatwave

Europe experienced its most extreme heatwave on record in late June, resulting in over 10,000 excess deaths across 27 countries, according to official data released by Reuters. The spike in mortality occurred primarily during the week of June 22 to 28, when temperatures peaked and caused widespread disruptions. Lasse Westergaard, chief physician at Denmark’s institute hosting the European mortality monitoring network, stated that the excess deaths could only be explained by the extreme heat, noting no other significant factors like COVID-19 outbreaks were present at the time.

The vast majority of victims, more than 9,000, were aged 65 and older. Health experts explained that extreme heat can trigger heatstroke and exacerbate cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, placing older populations at particular risk. Westergaard emphasized the unusual nature of such a high mortality excess for this time of year.

France and Belgium reported the highest excess mortality rates during the heatwave week, with Belgium’s national public health institute noting it was the highest recorded during a heatwave since 2000. The heatwave also broke temperature records across the continent, forced school closures, and caused power supply disruptions.

Scientists have linked the June heatwave’s severity to human-induced climate change, which increases the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. A separate study found that around 2,700 heat-related deaths occurred in England and Wales alone, with nearly half directly attributed to global warming.