Europe recorded 181,000 heat-related deaths over the past three summers, according to a new study done by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) published Monday in Nature Medicine, reported Xinhua.
The report warns that climate change is driving a sharp rise in deadly heat across the continent. The summer of 2024 alone, the hottest on record, saw 62,775 heat-related deaths between June and September. Italy was the hardest hit 19,038 deaths, followed by Spain with 6,743 and Germany with 6,282.
Analyzing data from 654 regions across 32 European countries, researchers found Greece had the highest heat-related death rate in 2024, with 574 deaths per million people, followed by Bulgaria with 530 and Serbia with 379. In total, 15 countries experienced their highest-ever heat-related mortality rates.
"Europe is warming faster than any other continent due to climate change, at twice the global average. The Mediterranean and Southeast regions are most affected, with significant health impacts and rising heat-related mortality," said ISGlobal researcher Natalia Shartova.
The study identified women and the elderly as the most vulnerable groups, with women suffering 46.7 percent more deaths than men and people over 75 facing a 323 percent higher mortality rate than other age groups.
- Heat
- Death
- Europe
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
