Extreme heat has killed more than 25,000 people across Europe this year, according to the latest available data compiled by Bloomberg.
Germany recorded the highest toll, with an estimated 11,900 excess deaths linked to heat since April, according to the Robert Koch Institute. Data from government agencies and research institutions in Spain, France, the U.K., Switzerland and the Netherlands put the region’s heat-related death toll at more than 25,000.
Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of heat waves on the world’s fastest-warming continent, prompting national health agencies to issue repeated warnings. Western Europe has been seared by four heat waves this summer, shattering temperature records and denting economic output. The heat is set to build again next week, with London forecast to reach 93 degrees Fahrenheit by Wednesday and Paris as high as 100 degrees.
High day and night temperatures, along with humidity, can weigh on vulnerable people’s health. Exposure to heat can lead to dizziness, nausea and cramps, which can cause heat strokes and even death.
Excess heat deaths are estimated by comparing mortality during a given period with historical averages for previous years. The data published by government agencies and research institutions are reported with a lag and does not yet capture the latest heat wave that began in early August.
Farhat writes for Bloomberg. Laura Millan of Bloomberg contributed to this report.
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