FLASH
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The extreme heat wave that hit Europe at the end of June has left an alarming toll. According to a data compilation conducted by Agence France-Presse (AFP), at least 12,000 additional deaths were recorded in about ten European countries during the hottest days of the month.
Preliminary data shows that in the period 22–28 June alone, around 10,000 additional deaths were recorded in Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Luxembourg, while in England and Wales an estimated 2,200 heat-related fatalities were recorded.
Meanwhile, the European platform EuroMOMO, which monitors mortality in 24 countries with nearly 400 million inhabitants, reports an even higher toll, with 14,260 additional deaths, although it emphasizes that the figures still remain preliminary.
Experts warn that the heat wave should not be seen just as a climate phenomenon, but as a serious health crisis.
"The summer is not over. We have the tools to prevent these deaths," declared Hans-Henri Kluge, the World Health Organization (WHO) regional director for Europe.
He added that many countries are still not adequately addressing the risk posed by extreme temperatures.
"Many governments still consider heat as a meteorological phenomenon and not a health emergency," the expert said.
Epidemiologist Lasse Festergaard, coordinator of the EuroMOMO platform, also expressed the same opinion.
" As far as we know, there are no other causes for this excess heat-related mortality, and that is tragic," he said.
However, he stressed that the results are still preliminary and that it will take about four weeks to fully consolidate the data.
Germany and France with the heaviest balance
According to official statistics, Germany recorded 5,780 additional deaths in the 26th week of the year alone, compared to the average of the previous four years. The Robert Koch Institute says this summer has caused more heat-related deaths than the last six summers combined.
France also reported over 2,000 additional deaths during the same period.
In Belgium, health authorities recorded 1,747 additional deaths between June 18 and July 1, marking the highest mortality rate during a heatwave in the 21st century.
Mortality increases in other countries as well
In Spain, the national mortality monitoring system attributed 610 deaths to high temperatures, with almost two-thirds of the victims being over 85 years old.
According to data analyzed by AFP, during the same period nearly 600 additional deaths were recorded in the Netherlands, around 220 in Switzerland and 23 in Luxembourg.
Experts warn that, with summer still at its peak and more heat waves possible, the death toll could rise further in the coming weeks.
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