Q&A: Europe’s May and June heatwave deaths – and how they were counted
This article examines the methodologies used by scientists and public health authorities to calculate excess deaths during European heatwaves. It discusses the evolution of mortality studies and the increasing focus on attributing specific deaths to human-caused climate change.
Why it matters
Understanding how heat-related mortality is measured is critical for policy-making and climate adaptation strategies.
Recent weeks have seen a flurry of reports from public health authorities and scientists that estimate the deaths caused by Europe’s record-breaking summer heatwaves .
In France , the national public health agency reported 2,025 excess deaths over the week where the heatwave peaked in June.
Authorities in Germany and Netherlands put the excess death toll during the same seven-day period at 5,753 and 533, respectively.
An analysis from climate scientists in Carbon Brief found that France saw more than 2,700 heat-redeaths over 17 days in June.
Separate research estimated there had been 2,700 heat-related deaths in the UK’s May and June heatwaves – 42% of which had been caused by human-caused climate change.
There are a number of methods for how academics and governments tally deaths caused by extreme heat, each with their own advantages and drawbacks.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in