Europe records 10,000 excess deaths during June heat wave

Extremely high temperatures have led to new temperature records in several European countries. Thousands of excess deaths were recorded in Belgium, the UK, France and Spain, among others.

Scientists from the international research group World Weather Attribution said that without man-made climate change, such heat waves would be virtually impossible.

A separate study found that at least 2,700 people could have died due to heat waves in May and June in England and Wales. This conclusion was reached by specialists from Imperial College London, the UK Meteorological Service and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

To estimate the effects of the heat, the researchers used meteorological data, climate models and previous studies of excess mortality.

The UK, like many other European countries, experienced two severe heat waves in May and June. In England, the temperature reached a record for these months of 35.1 and 37.7 degrees, respectively. Experts note that it was not only the intensity of the heat that was unusual, but also how early it came.

According to researchers, from May 21 to 29, the heat could have caused the death of about 550 people, and from June 18 to 28 – almost 2.2 thousand residents of England and Wales. An official estimate of deaths associated with recent heat waves will be published by the UK’s Health Security Agency at a later date. Experts emphasize that climate change is making extreme heat waves more frequent and intense, increasing public health risks.