Heat waves linked to 50K deaths in Europe this summer, report says

This summer's heat waves in Europe have claimed over 50,000 lives, according to a report published in the British Medical Journal. The death toll, estimated at 50,391, represents the highest on record and far outweighs the previous peak of 29,480 deaths in 2022, as well as 28,462 fatalities in 2003. Climate change is primarily to blame, accounting for two-thirds of the deaths, based on research from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The report highlights that Western Europe, particularly hit by its hottest ever summer, experienced the most severe effects. Nearly a third of all heat-related deaths occurred within a two-week span from June 17 to July 1, with mean temperatures exceeding the 1991-2020 average by more than 5°C. While southern and western Europe saw the highest temperatures and death estimates, cooler northern European countries, like the UK, also saw a significant number of heat-related fatalities.

In England alone, the death toll in May and June nearly doubled compared to the same period in 2025, with 2,900 deaths compared to 1,504. Experts warn that as summers become hotter and more extreme due to climate change, the impact on public health is becoming increasingly severe.