Last year, approximately 50,000 Europeans died from heat-related causes due to carbon pollution. The continent is rising twice as fast as the world average, causing unprecedented heatwaves that threaten public health, wildfires, and well-being.
A new Nature Medicine study found that the 2023 extreme heat mortality toll would have been 80% higher without adaptation strategies implemented over the preceding two decades. These attempts have not reduced fatalities, especially in southern Europe, where temperatures are highest. Greece, Italy, and Spain had the highest mortality rates, with 393 per million in Greece.
The study shows that early warning systems and healthcare improvements have reduced certain impacts but are not enough to safeguard vulnerable people. Cooler European countries like the UK and Norway will also experience more hot days, but the worst effects will be in the south.
Experts recommend constructing cooler cities, improving early warning systems, and strengthening healthcare infrastructure to manage heatwaves. Hydrating and checking on at-risk people can also make a difference.
The study urges immediate action to address climate change as a health issue and protect lives in a warming world.
