Europe's record heat this summer killed an estimated 24,400 individuals in 854 cities and towns. Scientists contrasted these figures with climate models of a world without human-induced warming and found that only 8,000 fatalities would have occurred under cooler temperatures. The study illustrates how climate change is tightening health hazards before societies can adapt, even as governments are putting in place policies to guard citizens, the New York Times reported.
A continent in the squeeze
Europe is the warming continent on the most rapid trajectory, and the health consequences are more pronounced. Through its record summer in 2022, more than 61,000 people lost their lives to heat-related illnesses. Researchers determined that more than half of these fatalities were caused directly by global warming. The situation has further worsened ever since, with wildfires, unsafe urban heat, and worker safety increasingly becoming part of the summer norm.
Cities most affected
The cities with the most heat-related deaths in absolute numbers during this year were Rome, Athens, and Bucharest. However, on a per capita basis, as determined by the proportion of deaths attributed to climate change, the leaders were Stockholm, Madrid, and Bratislava. Northern Europe, which was until now largely unaffected by such extreme heat, has increasing threats. As temperatures rise for summers, relatively minor temperature increases are enough to trigger health crises where they once were unthinkable.
Recurring but preventable deaths
Experts note that nearly all heat-related deaths are preventable. Interventions such as early warning systems, public cooling shelters, and labourer protections have been saving lives, but the scale of recent fatalities suggests current adaptation is not enough. "We can't keep pace with global warming," London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's Malcolm Mistry stated, citing the mismatch between policy makers' initiatives and the expanding climate danger.
The need for action
The report points to how European summers are being rewritten by global warming. Cities are re-examining their infrastructure, companies are changing operations, and governments are exploring new safeguards for workers. But unless adaptation is sped up and extends more broadly, and greenhouse gas emissions are reduced significantly, summers ahead might claim even more lives. The season is not just hot now for millions of Europeans, but increasingly a threat to survival.
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