Heat Wave Death Toll Rises Across Europe

(MENAFN) A powerful heat wave that has been gripping Europe since last week is believed to have caused roughly 2,300 fatalities, according to a report published on Wednesday.

The analysis, conducted by scientists from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, attributes a majority of these deaths to the intensifying effects of climate change.

The report estimates that approximately 1,500 deaths—around 65 percent of the total—can be connected to climate change.

The researchers found that the warming of the planet significantly intensified the severity of the recent heat wave, contributing to a notable rise in mortality rates across the continent.

According to the researchers, climate change has effectively tripled the number of deaths caused by extreme heat during the early summer period.

The study focused on a 10-day stretch of intense heat from June 23 to July 2 and included data from 12 European cities.

These cities include London, Paris, Frankfurt, Budapest, Zagreb (Croatia), Athens, Rome, Milan, Sassari (Italy), Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon.

"The findings of this analysis and many others are extremely clear: heat extremes all across Europe are increasing rapidly due to human-induced climate change," the report emphasized.

Researchers noted that some cities experienced temperature increases of up to 4°C during the period under review.

The study cautioned that future heat waves are likely to become even more intense, which may lead to higher numbers of fatalities in the coming years.

It highlighted the urgent need for climate adaptation and mitigation strategies.

In a separate climate bulletin also released on Wednesday, Copernicus Climate Change Service reported that June 2025 ranked as the third-warmest June on record globally, reinforcing concerns over the accelerating pace of global warming.

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