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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Ajit Niranjan

Heat killed ‘staggering’ 50,000 people in Europe’s cities this summer, scientists warn

People use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun during a heatwave in front of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris
Hot days pushed vulnerable bodies into overdrive and warm nights prevented them from recovering. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty

Heat killed a record 50,000 people in European cities this summer, new research suggests, with scientists blaming climate breakdown for two in every three of the deaths.

Morgues and funeral homes filled with bodies from June to August as the heat added by planet-baking pollution cut short an extra 32,000 lives in urban areas, the researchers found. Hot days pushed vulnerable bodies into overdrive and warm nights prevented them from recovering.

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