European countries record more than 10,000 excess deaths during a record-breaking heat wave that affects western Europe in late June, according to official figures compiled by EuroMOMO, a monitoring network supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization. The data show that more than 9,000 of the excess deaths occur among people aged 65 and above, highlighting the age-related vulnerability to extreme heat.
The reported excess mortality is described as unusual for the time of year, with Danish public health officials citing that the level is difficult to attribute to factors other than the heat. The health impacts of extreme temperatures include direct heat-related illness such as heat stroke and indirect effects such as worsening cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, which are more common in older populations.
Scientists cited in reporting also state that human-caused climate change makes heat waves more frequent and more intense, and they say the late-June event would have been virtually impossible without climate change. The EuroMOMO analysis pools national mortality statistics from across multiple countries in Europe.
