A record heat wave gripping Europe has driven related excess deaths past 1,300. With temperatures forecast to reach as high as 45 degrees Celsius in some regions early next month, concerns are mounting that the human toll could grow even larger.
More than 1,300 excess deaths related to the heat wave have occurred in Europe since June 21, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday. Excess deaths refer to the number of actual deaths exceeding the figure expected based on historical statistics.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media that "heat stress is a 'silent killer.'" He added, "Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, with average temperatures rising at twice the global rate."
He also said, "Europe's homes, workplaces and schools are not designed to withstand the current extreme high temperatures," urging stronger heat wave response systems.
The damage is spreading rapidly beyond Western Europe into Central and Eastern Europe. In Doksany, northern Czech Republic, a temperature of 41.1 degrees Celsius was recorded, exceeding 41 degrees for the first time since weather observations began, while Germany, Poland and Hungary have endured heat above 35 degrees.
The situation in France is particularly severe. Since the heat wave began June 24, the preliminary count of excess deaths has reached about 1,000. France's public health agency explained that 85% of the deaths were among elderly people aged 65 or older, with damage concentrated in areas where the highest-level red heat wave alert had been issued.
While France has recently experienced heat waves of around 40 degrees, the country's air conditioner penetration rate stands at about 25%, raising the issue of inadequate cooling infrastructure. Images of citizens lining up in front of large supermarkets from early morning to buy air conditioners have repeatedly been posted on social media.
France's meteorological agency said the heat wave is meteorologically very unusual, with monthly and all-time high temperature records being broken in succession across multiple regions. In particular, June 23 was recorded as the hottest day on a nationwide average basis since observations began.
According to the public health agency, total daily deaths from all causes exceeded 1,200 on June 24, and topped 1,400 on both June 25 and June 26. This far exceeds the daily average of 900 to 1,000 deaths recorded in April and May.
The bigger problem is that the heat wave is not yet over. European weather forecasting agencies predicted that a second heat wave could begin July 6, sending daytime highs in some regions soaring to around 45 degrees.
With school closures, power grid overloads and strains on the medical system already underway, concerns are emerging that additional heat could deepen the human toll and social disruption.
The WHO said that due to climate change, extreme heat waves that once occurred once a generation are now repeating almost every year, adding that it is strengthening prevention and health care response capabilities for heat waves together with member states.
Director-General Tedros stressed, "To protect public health, countries must actively implement heat-health action plans."
