Soaring Heatwave in Western Europe - Increased Mortality Rates Due to Extreme Temperatures
A recent study by scientists at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine has revealed that human-induced climate change tripled the number of heat-related deaths during a late June to early July heatwave in European cities.
The study, which focused on 12 major cities, estimated that approximately 1,500 people perished due to climate-amplified heat during this period. In comparison, if global warming were not a factor, the heatwave would have led to only about one-third as many heat-related deaths – around 500 in the cities analysed.
The true death toll across Europe is believed to be significantly higher, potentially reaching into the tens of thousands, as the rapid study only covered a dozen cities. For instance, the following year saw 47,000 heat-related deaths in Europe alone.
The summer of 2022 was particularly devastating, with over 60,000 heat-related deaths occurring across Europe, with half attributed to climate change.
The research emphasises the importance of stopping the use of fossil fuels to prevent heatwaves from becoming deadlier. Marotzke, the director at the Hamburg Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, praises the study as "very well done" and notes that models for temperature developments are very good, but less so for precipitation.
The study also highlighted that vulnerable groups, such as people with pre-existing conditions, were particularly affected by the heatwave. It is crucial to expand renewable energies, make cities more heat-resistant, and protect vulnerable population groups.
In Germany, cities are insufficiently prepared for more frequent and intense heatwaves. Examples include many glass and unshaded buildings, too little greenery, and too many sealed surfaces. Early onset of heatwaves can be more deadly because people are not yet accustomed to summer temperatures.
June 2025 saw Western Europe's warmest month on record, with an average temperature of 20.49 degrees Celsius. The maximum temperature recorded in the western Mediterranean in June 2025 was 27.0 degrees Celsius, the highest ever recorded in June. On a global scale, June 2025 was the third warmest month on record, with an average surface temperature of 16.46 degrees Celsius.
Global temperatures have already risen by 1.3 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times. Heatwaves are expected to become more frequent and intense with climate change, making it imperative to take immediate action to mitigate their impact.
[1] Source: Rapid-attribution study by scientists at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
- The study, carried out by scientists from Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, reveals that human-induced climate change tripled the number of heat-related deaths during a heatwave in European cities.
- The study, which focused on 12 major cities, estimates that around 1,500 people perished due to climate-amplified heat during the specific period.
- If global warming were not a factor, the heatwave would have led to only about one-third as many heat-related deaths – around 500 in the cities analyzed.
- The true death toll across Europe is believed to be significantly higher, potentially reaching into the tens of thousands, as the rapid study only covered a dozen cities.
- The following year saw 47,000 heat-related deaths in Europe alone, indicating the potential scale of the issue.
- The summer of 2022 was particularly devastating, with over 60,000 heat-related deaths occurring across Europe, with half attributed to climate change.
- The research emphasizes the importance of stopping the use of fossil fuels to prevent heatwaves from becoming deadlier.
- Vulnerable groups, such as people with pre-existing conditions, were particularly affected by the heatwave, underscoring the need for protective measures.
- In Germany, cities are insufficiently prepared for more frequent and intense heatwaves, emphasizing the need for urban planning considerations.
- Examples of issues in German cities include many glass and unshaded buildings, too little greenery, and too many sealed surfaces.
- Early onset of heatwaves can be more deadly because people are not yet accustomed to summer temperatures.
- June 2025 saw Western Europe's warmest month on record, with an average temperature of 20.49 degrees Celsius, highlighting the ongoing effects of climate change on temperatures.
- As global temperatures have already risen by 1.3 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times, heatwaves are expected to become more frequent and intense, making it imperative to take immediate action to mitigate their impact on health-and-wellness, mental-health, cardiovascular-health, and all aspects of human life given the interconnected nature of climate-change with policy-and-legislation, politics, and general-news. Furthermore, it is crucial to address other health concerns such as chronic-diseases, cance, respiratory-conditions, digestive-health, eye-health, hearing, skincare, fitness-and-exercise, aging, and men's-health and women's-health, as well as environmental-science and therapies-and-treatments for autoimmune-disorders and skin-conditions.
