Europe heatwave kills thousands

An extreme heatwave that hit western Europe for 10 days is believed to have caused around 2,300 deaths in 12 major European cities, according to a rapid analysis by researchers at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Of these deaths, 1,500 are directly linked to climate change, which intensified the severity of the heatwave, the study authors said, cited by Reuters. Temperatures topped 40°C in Spain and fuelled wildfires in southern France, while cities including Barcelona, Madrid, London and Milan suffered "very severe heat stress.”

"Climate change has made the heatwave significantly more dangerous,” said Dr Ben Clarke, one of the study's authors. The heatwaves were up to 4°C hotter in some cities than in a climate scenario without global warming. The researchers used epidemiological models and historical mortality data to estimate the impact of the heatwave on human health, taking into account the worsening of pre-existing conditions. Since heat-related deaths are often underreported or missing from official statistics, the analysis was conducted using scientifically validated but rapid methods to fill this data gap.

According to the European Copernicus Climate Change Service, June 2025 was the third warmest June on record on Earth, after 2024 and 2023. Western Europe experienced its warmest June on record, and many regions experienced episodes of "very severe heat stress,” a condition that simulates temperatures felt above 38°C.

• The impact of global warming on public health

Greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from the burning of fossil fuels, have increased the global average temperature, making heatwaves more intense, more frequent, and more deadly. In a previously published report, European researchers estimated that more than 61,000 people would have died in heatwaves in Europe in 2022 - a figure that highlights the ineffectiveness of current protection measures. "In a warming world, heatwaves will become more frequent, more intense and affect more people,” warned Samantha Burgess, Copernicus Climate Strategy Lead.

Recent data shows that climate change is no longer an abstract or future phenomenon, but a present and deadly one. Heatwaves are killing thousands of people, disproportionately affecting the elderly, the vulnerable and those with pre-existing conditions. Europe, despite its developed health systems, is still unprepared for climate-induced health crises, and adaptation is becoming an absolute emergency.

For such tragedies to be avoided or mitigated, urban climate response strategies (green infrastructure, cooling centers, social support networks), effective public communication in times of risk, and ambitious climate policies that drastically reduce global emissions are essential.