This summer, severe heat in Europe has led to at least 16,500 deaths - Bloomberg
Kyiv • UNN
This summer, climate change caused 16,500 deaths in European cities, more than three times the projected statistics. The study covered 854 urban areas where temperatures were 3.6°C higher.
This summer, climate change led to scorching summer temperatures that claimed the lives of approximately 16,500 people in European cities, more than tripling the total number of heat-related deaths compared to projected statistics, writes UNN with reference to Bloomberg.
Details
The analysis provides a preliminary look at the consequences of Europe's fourth warmest summer on record, during which a series of heatwaves struck countries from Italy to Germany and France. Temperatures reached 46°C (115°F) in Spain and Portugal and led to the deaths of several outdoor workers in Spain and Italy.
"These numbers represent real people who have lost their lives. If we continue on the same path — continue to burn fossil fuels — these deaths will only increase," said Friederike Otto, a professor of climatology at Imperial College London, who co-authored the study with colleagues from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and other institutions.
Researchers focused on 854 urban areas, finding that temperatures from June to August were 3.6°C higher due to climate change, according to a report published on Wednesday.
But this represents just under a third of Europe's population, experts warn, meaning the true death toll is almost certainly higher. Other studies have shown that more than 60,000 people likely died from extreme heat in Europe in the summer of 2022, and more than 47,000 people in 2023.
Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world, and the Mediterranean is a climate change hotspot. Extremely hot conditions are turning economic activity in the region upside down, especially in the tourism sector. This summer, major tourist attractions, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Acropolis in Athens, temporarily closed due to the heat.
The study is part of a growing body of research showing how climate change is now disrupting human activity, allowing the public and policymakers to understand the projected impact of greenhouse gas pollution almost in real time. Some scientists have also turned to this cutting-edge field of research, known as attribution, to help establish a link between destructive extreme weather and individual pollutants.
Only in the last decade have scientists been able to quickly assess the role climate change has played in extreme weather events.
They do this by statistically analyzing local weather history and comparing observed weather with simulations of a cooler, pre-warming climate. Based on studies of how mortality rates change with temperature, they can estimate the number of heat-related deaths and how many would be expected without climate change. Researchers note that government statistics tend to underestimate heat-related deaths.
How extreme heat affects the body
Imperial College London is a leading partner of World Weather Attribution, a research group that pioneered rapid attribution of extreme weather events. Scientists previously investigated the European heatwave in early summer, finding that warm weather claimed the lives of about 2,300 people in 12 European cities from June 23 to July 2.
Heat puts a strain on the body, including making the heart work harder, which is a stressor for people with underlying heart conditions, said Courtney Howard, an emergency physician in Canada who leads the Global Alliance on Climate and Health. High temperatures can also exacerbate air pollution, worsening respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, she said.
Older people are also disproportionately affected by high temperatures and are less able to sweat to cool down. According to the study, more than 80% of climate change-related deaths affected people aged 65 and older.
Data showed that Italy, Spain, and Portugal were particularly hard hit, but countries as far north as Sweden also saw higher-than-average temperatures.
Addition
The severe weather conditions that hit Europe this summer have, according to EU estimates, led to short-term economic losses of at least 43 billion euros, and by 2029, these losses are expected to increase to 126 billion euros.