Europe records more than 30,000 excess deaths in summer heatwaves

Europe has recorded over 30,000 excess deaths during a series of intense summer heatwaves and droughts, exacerbated by man-made climate change, according to provisional figures. EuroMomo, a European monitoring platform, estimates that there were more than 32,000 excess deaths between mid-July and mid-August, though the summer is not yet over.

The data, primarily available from 23 European countries, does not provide a breakdown by individual nations. Still, various national health authorities have reported excess fatalities ranging from mid-May to August. In total, 33,000 deaths have been attributed to the heat in eight countries including Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain.

The deadliest week of the summer was the last week of June, with nearly 16,000 excess deaths. The first week of July saw a close second with around 8,000 deaths. Both weeks experienced intense heatwaves, and widespread droughts provided ideal conditions for wildfires. As EuroMomo's estimates are refined over the coming weeks, the final toll will likely change.

Currently, the model only includes official statistics from 23 European countries and does not cover a significant portion of the continent's eastern region. Germany, the EU's most populous country with 82 million residents, reported 14,000 heat-related deaths by August 9, setting a new record since tracking began in 2016. The Robert Koch Institute found that people aged 75 and older were the most affected.

France has documented 7,300 excess deaths from late May to July 22, and the tally is expected to rise as the heatwave continues. Spain recorded nearly 4,500 heat-related deaths between June 1 and August 19, with July being the joint-hottest month since 1961. The United Kingdom's health and safety authority estimates that England experienced 2,877 heat-related deaths between May and June, potentially surpassing the historic 2,985 deaths from the 2022 summer.

Belgium's Sciensano institute estimated 2,570 excess deaths between June 18 and July 17, which will be updated in September. The Netherlands saw 968 excess deaths between June 22 and July 5, and Austria's AGES agency reported 396 heatwave-related deaths in June, a previously unseen level. Portugal recorded over 600 excess deaths between mid-June and the end of July.