A study published on Monday revealed that extreme heat, worsened by human-driven carbon emissions, led to nearly 50,000 deaths in Europe last year. The research, conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, estimated that 47,690 people lost their lives due to heat during what was the warmest year globally and the second warmest in Europe on record.
The study, featured in the journal Nature Medicine, analyzed temperature and mortality data from 35 European countries. It found that older people were most vulnerable, with southern Europe bearing the brunt of the heat. Over half of the deaths occurred during two intense heatwaves in mid-July and August, a time when Greece was also fighting devastating wildfires. Temperatures soared to 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) in Sicily on July 18.
The researchers noted that while the death toll is an estimate, with a 95% confidence range of between 28,853 and 66,525 deaths, the number could have been 80% higher without the efforts by European governments to adapt to hotter summers in the 21st century.
The study emphasized the need for even more effective strategies to reduce heat-related deaths as climate change continues to cause more frequent, longer, and intense heatwaves. Europe, where temperatures are rising faster than in other parts of the world, has seen an increase in deadly heatwaves in recent years.