London: Around 2,300 people died of heat-related causes across 12 European cities during the severe heatwave that ended last week, according to a rapid scientific analysis published on Wednesday. The study specifically focused on the 10 days leading up to July 2nd, during which large parts of Western Europe experienced extreme heat, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) in Spain and wildfires erupting in France.
According to Emirates News Agency, of the 2,300 people estimated to have died during this period, 1,500 deaths were attributed to climate change, which intensified the severity of the heatwave. This conclusion was reached by scientists at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Dr. Ben Clarke, a researcher at Imperial College London, stated, "Climate change has made it significantly hotter than it would have been, which in turn makes it a lot more dangerous."
The study encompassed 12 cities, including Barcelona, Madrid, London, and Milan. Researchers noted that climate change had increased heatwave temperatures by up to 4 degrees Celsius in these cities. They employed established epidemiological models and historical mortality data to estimate the death toll, focusing on deaths where heat was the underlying cause, including instances where exposure worsened pre-existing health conditions.
Last month was recorded as the planet's third-hottest June, following June 2024 and 2023, as reported by the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service in a monthly bulletin on Wednesday.
