Climate Crisis Escalates: Human-Made Global Heating Blamed for Two-Thirds of Heat Deaths in Europe This Summer

A recent analysis highlights the grim impact of human-made global heating on health during the scorching summer of this year, with two in every three heat-related deaths in Europe attributed to climate change. Epidemiologists and climate scientists evaluated mortality data from 854 large cities, revealing that out of an estimated 24,400 heat deaths from June to August, approximately 16,500 can be directly traced back to the extreme temperatures exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions. The rapid analysis, although not yet peer-reviewed, indicates a significant correlation between climate breakdown and rising temperatures, which made the cities in question on average 2.2 degrees Celsius hotter. This stark increase has considerably heightened the mortality rates linked to dangerously warm conditions. According to Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London and co-author of the report, the connection between fossil fuel consumption and rising heat-related deaths is irrefutable. Otto asserts, "If we had not continued to burn fossil fuels over the last decades, most of the estimated 24,400 people in Europe wouldn’t have died this summer." Using data on local temperature-death relationships, researchers modeled excess mortality during the year's hottest months and compared their findings with a theoretical scenario absent of climate change. The analysis determined that this extra heat was accountable for about 68% of the heat-related casualties. The most vulnerable demographic appears to be older adults, with 85% of the deceased being over the age of 65, and nearly half (41%) aged over 85. The study identifies that a large portion of heat-related fatalities occurs in homes and hospitals, where individuals with pre-existing health conditions are severely affected by elevated temperatures. Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London and co-author of the report, noted that heat is seldom mentioned in death certificates despite its significant role in these tragedies. Local newspapers reported on a few victims who succumbed to the heat outside their homes. For instance, 77-year-old Manuel Ariza Serrano, a former councillor in La Rambla, Spain, collapsed while walking in 45-degree Celsius heat. Another tragic case involved Brahim Ait El Hajjam, a 47-year-old father of four and flooring contractor in northern Italy, who died from heat exposure while working on a school construction site. He had called home shortly before his passing, communicating with his family that he would return for lunch. Konstantinoudis remarked on the persistent underestimation of public health risks due to extreme heat. He contrasted society's response to heat with reactions to other weather extremes, stating, "No one would expect someone to risk their life working in torrential rain or hurricane winds. But dangerous heat is still treated too casually." Europe's cities have implemented improved strategies for managing extreme heat since the disastrous heatwave of 2003, which led to the loss of 70,000 lives. Nevertheless, emergency services are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with the rising temperatures and the challenges posed by an aging population. In light of the recent findings, medical professionals are urging the establishment of local action plans to address heatwaves, increase green spaces within cities—which tend to be hotter than their rural counterparts—and provide air conditioning for vulnerable groups, particularly the elderly living in retirement homes. Adaptation expert Madeleine Thomson from Wellcome, a nonprofit health organization, emphasized that no city in Europe is exempt from the risks of extreme heat. "If we don’t act now, the toll will rise," she warned, calling for urgent action to phase out fossil fuels and enforce policies that protect those most at risk from increasingly deadly heatwaves. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2