Heat wave-hit Europe logs over 30,000 excess summer deaths
Between mid-July and mid-August, the continent's EuroMomo monitoring platform estimates that Europe saw more than 32,000 excess deaths — with summer yet to come to an end.
Europe experienced an unprecedented summer of heatwaves and drought, resulting in over 30,000 excess deaths, according to provisional figures from the EuroMomo monitoring platform. The peak of the deadly summer occurred in the last week of June, with nearly 16,000 excess deaths reported. The first week of July followed closely with around 8,000 deaths.
These figures, which cover the period between mid-July and mid-August, do not include the rest of the summer. Germany, the most populous European country with 82 million inhabitants, saw a record 14,000 heat-related deaths up until August 9, according to official data from the Robert Koch Institute. The elderly, particularly those over 75, suffered the most from the extreme temperatures.
Spain experienced its joint-hottest July since records began in 1961, with nearly 4,500 heat-related deaths during June and July, while the U.K. recorded 2,877 heat-related deaths in May and June. Belgium saw 2,570 excess deaths between June and July, a figure that will be updated in September to include the worst wildfire in modern history.
The Netherlands saw 968 excess deaths from June to July, and Austria recorded its highest number of heat wave-related deaths for June, with 396. Portugal logged more than 600 excess deaths between mid-June and the end of July. These figures are likely to rise as the summer progresses and more detailed data becomes available.
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