European countries registered more than 10,000 excess deaths during a severe heatwave that swept across the western part of the continent in late June, official data compiled by EuroMOMO shows. The network, which is supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization, reported that over 9,000 of these excess deaths were among people aged 65 and above.
Extreme heat poses significant health risks, including heatstroke and the exacerbation of cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, making older individuals particularly vulnerable. Lasse Vestergaard, Chief Physician at Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut, which hosts EuroMOMO, described the excess mortality figures for this time of year as unusual and exceptionally high, stating it is difficult to attribute this spike to factors other than the extreme heat.
Scientists have indicated that the late-June heatwave was made substantially more likely by human-caused climate change, which is increasing the frequency and intensity of such events. The data, collected from the national mortality statistics of 27 European countries, encompasses excess deaths from all causes during the week of June 22 to 28, the period when the heatwave reached its peak in countries like France, Spain, and Britain. Despite the broad scope, scientists found no other significant contributing factors, such as COVID-19 outbreaks, to explain the surge to 10,650 excess deaths in that week.
This contrasts with the preceding eight weeks, during which the combined mortality for the same European countries averaged around 500 deaths per week below typical levels. EuroMOMO noted that France and Belgium reported “very high excess” mortality in the final week of June. Belgium's excess mortality during this heatwave was the highest recorded since 2000, according to its public health institute.
In related findings, a separate scientific study estimated that England and Wales alone experienced approximately 2,700 heat-related deaths during heatwaves in May and June. Research conducted by Imperial College London, the UK Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine suggested that 42% of these deaths were attributable to the additional heat caused by global warming contributing to the heatwaves. The EuroMOMO data may be subject to revisions as more information becomes available in the coming weeks. The heatwave itself led to disruptions in power supplies, school closures, and record-breaking temperatures across several European nations.