Europe heatwave kills more than 10000 people in a week, data shows

An European study claims 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe during the record-breaking heatwave that swept western parts of the continent in late June, Reuters reported, quoting data published by EuroMOMO.

The mortality monitoring network, backed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), reported 10,650 excess deaths during the week of June 22 to 28. More than 9,000 of those deaths were among people aged 65 years and above.

Scientists link spike in deaths to extreme heat

Lasse Vestergaard, Chief Physician at Denmark's Statens Serum Institut, which hosts EuroMOMO, said the unusually high mortality during this time of year was most likely driven by the extreme heat.


"To have this kind of excess at this time of year is unusual. It's really high," Vestergaard told Reuters.

"It is difficult to explain this high excess mortality by anything but the extreme heat," he added.

Extreme heat can cause heat stroke and worsen cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, with older adults among the most vulnerable.

Data covers 27 European countries

The figures are based on national mortality statistics from 27 European countries and include excess deaths from all causes, not just heat-related fatalities, during the week when the heatwave peaked across France, Spain, Britain and other parts of Europe.

According to scientists, there were no other major known factors, such as COVID-19 outbreaks, that could explain the sharp rise in deaths during the period.

EuroMOMO noted that the combined mortality across the same countries had averaged around 500 deaths per week below expected levels over the previous eight weeks. The organisation added that the figures may be revised as additional data becomes available.

France and Belgium recorded very high excess mortality

While EuroMOMO does not publish country-wise excess death figures, it said France and Belgium were the only countries to record "very high excess" mortality during the final week of June.

Belgium's public health institute, Sciensano, said the country's excess mortality during the heatwave was the highest recorded since its data collection began in 2000.

Heatwave disrupted daily life across Europe

The late June heatwave disrupted power supplies, forced school closures and broke temperature records in France, Spain and the United Kingdom.

Scientists have said the heatwave would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused climate change, which they say is making heatwaves more frequent and intense.

England and Wales study estimates 2,700 heat-related deaths

A separate scientific study published on Monday estimated that 2,700 people died from heat-related causes in England and Wales during the May and June heatwaves.

According to researchers from Imperial College London, the UK Met Office and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 42% of those deaths were attributable to the additional heat caused by global warming.

(With inputs from Reuters)