The latest news on Europe. A new scientific analysis published on Wednesday has linked the recent European heatwave to a significant death toll across several cities, with researchers attributing many of the fatalities to the intensifying impact of climate change.
Researchers estimate that extreme heat claimed the lives of 2,300 people in 12 cities as temperatures surged throughout Europe from June 23 to July 2. They have linked 1,500 of these deaths to climate change, which has intensified the severity of the situation.
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"This study demonstrates why heatwaves are known as silent killers," said the co-author. "While a handful of deaths have been reported in Spain, France and Italy, thousands more people are expected to have died as a result of the blistering temperatures."
The analysis examined mortality patterns during a ten-day stretch of extreme temperatures and found that climate-driven heat was a major contributing factor. As heatwaves become longer and more severe, concerns grow over public health systems' ability to cope.