WHO warns that the current heatwave in Europe is just a "dress rehearsal"
Kyiv • UNN
The World Health Organization has stated that future summers in Europe will be more severe due to record heat. In June, over 1,000 heat-related deaths were recorded in France.
Against the backdrop of Europe continuing to face record heat, the World Health Organization warns that future summers will only be hotter, reports UNN citing Euronews.
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June was one of the hottest months on record in Europe, with temperatures reaching unprecedented highs in many countries and causing an increase in heat-related deaths.
And this is just the beginning. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that future summers will be more severe.
"This heat is a dress rehearsal," said Dr. Hans Henri Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
Europe is heating up more than twice as fast as the global average, and heat is no longer a one-off occurrence. These are recurring crises that are becoming more frequent, intense, and prolonged, Kluge added.
Over the past month in France, more than 1,000 deaths have been recorded since June 24 alone, most of which are among people aged 65 and older, while emergency calls in some cities have increased by up to 50%.
Spain's mortality monitoring system has already estimated 892 additional heat-related deaths in June.
Kluge warned that every summer we do not prepare for is a summer we pay for with lives.
However, the WHO also has good news, as the agency emphasizes that prevention works.
According to the WHO chief in Europe, estimates show that heat-related mortality in Europe in 2023 would have been about 80% higher without the adaptation measures already taken. For people aged 80 and older, mortality could have been twice as high.
"Heat action plans, early warning systems, cooling of premises, outreach to vulnerable people — these are not bureaucratic exercises. They save lives right now — we need more such measures across the European region," Kluge added.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, the heatwave is expected to spread to large parts of Western, Central, and Southern Europe and the Balkans by June 30.
Severe heatwave in Europe has moved east and continued to set records30.06.26, 11:42 • 3492 views