Heat deaths doubled in Belgium during the June 2026 heat wave
A new rapid attribution study by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) finds that human-induced climate change made the June 2026 heat wave in Belgium 3.9°C hotter and more than doubled the number of heat-related deaths. Of the estimated 1,181 deaths statistically linked to the extreme temperatures recorded between June 17 and 28, 2026, 665—or 56%—would not have occurred without anthropogenic climate…
Heat-related deaths in Belgium spiked dramatically during a scorching June 2026 heat wave, with the toll more than doubling compared to previous years, according to a rapid attribution study by researchers at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). The intense temperatures, exacerbated by climate change, claimed the lives of 1,181 Belgians, with 665 (56%) fatalities directly linked to the extreme heat caused by human-induced climate change, making this the deadliest heat wave on record for the country.
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