Scientists from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine estimated that around 2 300 people died from heat in 12 European cities over ten days.
Reuters writes about this.
The study covered a 10-day period ending on July 2, when much of Western Europe experienced extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding +40°C in Spain and forest fires raging in France.
Of the approximately 2,300 deaths, scientists estimate that 1 500 were linked to climate change, which made the heat wave more intense.
"Climate change has made temperatures much higher than they would have been without it, which in turn has made the situation much more dangerous," said Dr. Ben Clark, a researcher at Imperial College London.
The study covered 12 cities, including Barcelona, Madrid, London and Milan, where scientists say climate change has increased temperatures during heat waves by as much as 4°C.
The researchers used validated epidemiological models and historical mortality data to estimate the number of deaths. This estimate takes into account cases where heat was the main cause of death, including by exacerbating pre-existing health problems.
The researchers stressed that they used peer-reviewed methods to quickly estimate the number of victims, as most deaths caused by heat are not officially recorded, and some governments do not publish such data at all.
- Last month was the third hottest June on record, behind the same month in 2024 and 2023. Western Europe experienced one of the warmest Junes on record, with much of the region experiencing “very severe heat stress”, with temperatures feeling as high as 38°C.
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