Article By Frank Bergman
More than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe during June, with officials blaming the brutal heatwave for the devastating surge.
Officials are now warning that another surge in excess deaths will follow, noting that a stretch of extreme temperatures is already forming.
However, while officials blame the “heat” for the deadly spike, experts warn that Europe’s lack of cooling infrastructure is putting vulnerable people at risk.
The alarming figures have reignited scrutiny of Europe’s chronic lack of air conditioning, which experts say has left millions of vulnerable people dangerously exposed during periods of extreme heat.
Thousands of Elderly Europeans Die During Heatwave
Data from the European Monitoring of Excess Mortality for Public Health Action showed that more than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across 27 European countries during the week of June 22 to June 28.
More than 9,000 of those who died were aged 65 or older.
The deaths were recorded as excess mortality from all causes, meaning they were not individually classified as heat-related.
However, researchers said there were no known major disease outbreaks or other widespread events that would explain the sudden spike.
“To have this kind of excess at this time of year is unusual. It’s really high,” said Lasse Vestergaard, chief physician at Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut, which hosts EuroMOMO.
“It is difficult to explain this high excess mortality by anything but the extreme heat.”
France and Belgium recorded “very high excess” mortality during the final week of June.
Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands reported “moderate excess,” while England, Wales, Italy, and Germany registered a “low excess” of deaths.
Belgium’s mortality surge was the worst recorded during any heatwave since national records began in 2000.
“Our latest analysis shows that 1,747 more people died than expected during this heatwave, corresponding to an excess mortality of 48 percent,” Belgium’s public health institute Sciensano said.
“The deadliest days, 27 and 28 June, recorded mortality levels comparable to those observed during the peak of the first COVID-19 wave in April 2020.”
WHO Warns Europe to Brace for “More Deadly Weeks”
World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, Dr. Hans Henri Kluge, warned that governments must prepare for “more deadly weeks” as another heatwave begins forming over the Atlantic.
Extreme heat can kill directly through heat stroke or worsen cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, with elderly residents facing the greatest risk.
The heatwave disrupted power supplies, forced schools to close, and shattered temperature records across France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
France recorded its hottest-ever national average temperatures on June 24 and June 25, with an average of 30 degrees Celsius, or 86 degrees Fahrenheit, over 24 hours.
A separate study by Imperial College London, the UK Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine estimated that roughly 2,700 people died from heat-related causes in England and Wales during the May and June heatwaves.
The scale of the deaths has echoes of the catastrophic 2003 European heatwave, when more than 70,000 excess deaths were recorded across 16 countries.
Europe’s Lack of Air Conditioning Under Fire
The latest mortality surge has placed renewed focus on Europe’s limited use of air conditioning.
American political scientist Roger Pielke Jr. has argued that Europe’s low air conditioning coverage has directly contributed to thousands of preventable deaths during previous heatwaves.
“The math is simple,” Pielke wrote.
“Today’s heat deaths reflect today’s level of AC coverage.
“Raise the coverage, and a share of those deaths are eliminated – in proportion to how protective AC is and how many more households gain it.”
Pielke estimated that as many as 26,000 deaths during Europe’s 2022 heatwave could have been prevented if the continent had air conditioning coverage comparable to that of the United States.
The latest death toll underscores the deadly consequences of Europe’s failure to adequately protect residents from dangerous summer temperatures.
While officials continue issuing warnings and urging the public to prepare, thousands of families are now facing the consequences of years of inadequate cooling infrastructure.
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