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Europe’s recent heatwave, which ended last week, claimed a sobering number of lives. A new study by British scientists reveals that climate change, driven by human activity, made the heatwave significantly more deadly. The researchers estimate that heat-related deaths were three times higher than they would have been without the influence of man-made global warming.
The study, published by Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute, analyzed the period from June 23 to July 2. Researchers found that the burning of fossil fuels intensified the heatwave, leading to an estimated 2,300 heat-related deaths across twelve European cities.
Without the added impact of climate change, this number would have been closer to 800. The study suggests that fossil fuel burning increased temperatures by up to 4 degrees Celsius during the heatwave.
Milan experienced the highest number of excess deaths attributed to climate change (317), followed by Barcelona (286), Paris (235), London (171), and Rome (164). The elderly were particularly vulnerable, accounting for 88% of the climate change-related fatalities. This highlights the increased risk for those with underlying health conditions, a concerning trend given Europe’s aging population.
Experts warn that the actual death toll across Europe could be far higher than the study’s initial estimates, which focused on only twelve cities. The researchers compared the impact of the heatwave to other recent weather disasters, such as floods in Valencia and northwestern Europe, and suggest the heatwave’s death toll likely surpassed those events.
The study emphasizes the often-overlooked danger of heatwaves. Unlike more visually dramatic disasters, heatwaves can have a “silent” impact, causing widespread devastation without the immediate, visible destruction. Even small temperature increases of just a few degrees can have life-or-death consequences.
Scientists stress that these deadly heatwaves will become more frequent and intense unless global action is taken to reduce fossil fuel use and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Separate data from the Spanish government already indicates a sharp increase in heat-related deaths this year compared to 2022.
The European Union’s Climate Change Service also confirmed that June 2024 was the hottest June on record globally. The European Environment Agency has previously warned of a dramatic increase in heat-related deaths as global temperatures continue to rise.