Europe's heat claims 50,000 lives. Climate change blamed for two-thirds of deaths
A new study published in Nature Health reveals that over 50,000 people died in Europe due to extreme heat during the summer, with nearly two-thirds of these deaths attributed to human-caused climate change. The findings highlight that current infrastructure in Western and Northern Europe is ill-equipped to handle the rising temperatures.
Why it matters
The data underscores the escalating human cost of climate change and the urgent need for infrastructure adaptation to protect vulnerable populations from extreme weather events.
WASHINGTON — Blistering record heat in Europe this summer helped kill more than 50,000 people, with nearly two-thirds of that death toll blamed on human-caused climate change, a new study found.
Extreme Weather From Europe to Asia, floods to heatwaves, world experiences weather shocks Researchers modeled heat-related deaths for different age groups in 854 European cities during repeated heat waves in June, July and August and found that 50,391 people died from warmer temperatures, and of those, 32,619 died because of the extra heat caused by the burning of coal, oil and gas, according to a study in an upcoming issue of Nature Health.
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