Summer heatwave linked to 50,000 deaths in Europe

{"text":[[{"start":9.233,"text":"This summer Europe experienced an estimated 50,000 heat-related deaths as high temperatures scorched the continent, making it the most deadly season for heat mortality in modern records, according to new research."}],[{"start":21.36,"text":"Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, and this summer was the region’s hottest on record, with new temperature highs set in several countries amid back-to-back heatwaves."}],[{"start":32.4,"text":"This year’s excess heat deaths were the worst this century, far exceeding the previous record of 29,000 heat-related deaths in the summer of 2022, according to two papers in the journal Nature Health, one published this month and the other accepted for publication."}],[{"start":50.96,"text":"Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the UK suffered the greatest number of excess deaths this summer due to hot conditions, according to estimates modelled by a team of scientists at Imperial College London and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, as well as the universities of Copenhagen, Venice and Bern."}],[{"start":72.24,"text":"The team’s research covering 2000 to 2025 was published in Nature Health this month, while their 2026 paper has been accepted for publication by the journal."}],[{"start":79.84,"text":"Clair Barnes, researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College and an author of the papers, said the summer of 2026 “is likely to have been the worst on record for heat-related mortality across much of Europe”."}],[{"start":92.48,"text":"She added: “These numbers are a stark reminder that our hotter, more extreme summers are having an increasingly severe impact on public health.”"}],[{"start":100.88,"text":"While heatstroke can kill, most heat-related deaths are indirect — heart attacks, strokes and respiratory failure become more common as the body strains to cool itself. The elderly, the young and those with underlying health issues are most at risk."}],[{"start":116.8,"text":"“Heat is a silent killer,” said Malcolm Mistry, an author of the papers and an assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Heat deaths are often under-reported, he added."}],[{"start":128.855,"text":"For the study, the researchers used temperature data and modelling based on the historical relationship between heat and mortality to estimate the heat-related excess deaths."}],[{"start":139.627,"text":"The study included 854 urban areas across the EU plus the UK, Norway and Switzerland, covering about 40 per cent of the population."}],[{"start":145.626,"text":"Scientists say climate change is making extreme weather events, including heatwaves, more intense and frequent."}],[{"start":152.705,"text":"Katie White, the UK’s minister for climate transition, said the “shocking figures” in the research represented thousands of families who had “lost a loved one this summer due to the climate crisis”."}],[{"start":167.28,"text":"This summer, schools, hospitals and other public services struggled to fully function across several countries in Europe during the often intense heat, with wildfires and drought adding to the pressure."}],[{"start":176,"text":"Following the summer heatwave, the European Commission is set to propose a law on Tuesday that will encourage public authorities to consider climate risks in all investment decisions. It will be the EU’s first legal proposal on climate preparedness but is not expected to come with any new funding."}],[{"start":193.579,"text":"The Commission is also preparing a heatwave plan, which a spokesperson said would include data gathering and “early warning systems” to better prepare for heatwaves. “It is clear that we urgently need better health preparedness when it comes to our heating climate, especially for our health systems and to protect the most vulnerable Europeans,” they said."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":217.52,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1792737956_5674.mp3"}