The World Health Organization has revealed that at least 15,000 people died in Europe because of extreme hot weather in 2022, with Spain and Germany among the worst-affected countries.
The three months from June-August 2022 were the hottest in Europe since records began, and the exceptionally high temperatures led to the worst drought the continent has suffered since the Middle Ages.
According to the WHO's Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, "based on country data submitted so far, it is estimated that at least 15,000 people died specifically due to the heat in 2022."
"Nearly 4,000 deaths in Spain, more than 1,000 in Portugal, more than 3,200 in the United Kingdom, and around 4,500 deaths in Germany were reported by health authorities during the 3 months of the summer," Kluge added.
The #ClimateCrisis threatens our health, driving diseases like #cancer, asthma, heart disease, and mosquito-borne diseases like dengue. #COP27
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) November 7, 2022
📌 https://t.co/ZIdvkcFLsC pic.twitter.com/6uVpJv4P9H
Drastic action required
The WHO's mortality estimate is expected to increase as more countries report statistics for excess deaths due to the heatwaves.
Crops withered in European breadbaskets, as the prolonged dry spell led to record wildfires and placed severe pressure on the continent's power grid.
Successive heatwaves between June and July saw temperatures top 40°C in Britain for the first time ever.
"Heat stress, when the body cannot cool itself, is the leading cause of weather-related death in the European Region," the WHO said.
It added that extreme temperatures can be a danger to people who suffer from chronic heart disease, breathing problems and diabetes.
WHO said increasing heatwaves and other extreme weather will "lead to more diseases and deaths" in the next decades unless "drastic" action is taken.
