Europe's silent heat death toll

It’s not news that it’s hot: this summer, we’ve had five major heatwaves. Extreme heat killed at least 25,000 people in Western Europe alone, according to a Bloomberg analysis. In Wallonia, Belgium, more deaths were recorded on June 28, the peak of June’s heatwave, than any given day at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Belgium was the country hardest hit during the month of June, together with France and Germany, according to data collected by the European Mortality Monitoring Network. Some 80 million people across the continent faced temperatures of 40ºC and higher, often in places unadapted to such temperatures. Yet heat mortality is nothing new. Over the past four years, extreme heat has killed more than 200,000 Europeans. Nearly all of those deaths were preventable, Europe’s regional director for the World Health Organization, Hans Kluge, stated in a speech this June. A history of heat Our first wake-up call in Europe came in 2003, when more than 70,000 excess deaths were recorded – meaning there were 70,000 more deaths than would normally be expected during that period. It was the hottest summer recorded since 1540. France, the hardest-hit country that year, introduced an annual heatwave plan: an alert system, as well as requirements for local officals to provide access to cool spaces, ensure access to water, and check in on heat-vulnerable residents. Over the next two decades, most European countries introduced plans to prepare for and repond to heatwaves. By 2019, at least 16 European countries had some form of a heat-health action plan. But even twenty years later, the summer death toll remains brutal. The summer of 2022 was Europe’s hottest summer on record, with an estimated 61,672 heat-related deaths. In 2024, an estimated 62,775 people died from heat-related causes. If Europe doesn't adapt enough to rising temperatures, or reduce emissions, temperature-related deaths in Europe will rise by 50% (that's around 215,000 per year) by 2100, a 2025 study projected. So why aren't we doing more? Heat is rarely the sole cause of death here. The average European heat victim is often at risk for several reasons: they are typically over 80, with a cardiovascular or respiratory condition, living alone in poorly insulated housing. Gender also plays a role: in 2022, heat-related mortality was 63% higher in women than men. “Gender has been completely missing in the discussion,” said Ronita Bardhan, professor of sustainable built environment and health at the University of Cambridge. “Women who are restricted indoors experience heat exposure at an intensity and frequency that is is rarely measured, so an important part of the heat burden remains invisible.” Then there is energy poverty: a household’s inability to access essential energy services, such as heating, cooling, or lighting, due to high energy prices and poor insulation. During heatwaves, a lack of cooling can be fatal, but that’s rarely the official cause of death. Bardhan points out that when a vulnerable person, already living with heart disease or in energy poverty, dies during a heatwave, this isn’t reflected in medical records. Another aspect is that some heat action plans may actually be counterproductive. When it comes to workplace heat plans, some only provide a sense of safety without actually protecting workers, explains Andreas Flouris, environmental physiology researcher at the University of Thessaly. Standard public advice, like seeking shade or air conditioning, lightening your clothing, and slowing down, or taking more breaks, is not always possible for workers, who don't control their environment. “So you feel safer, and you carry on your job, thinking that something is protecting you. But in fact, it isn't,” Flouris said. Besides, not all danger occurs during heatwaves specifically. When it comes to heat-related deaths and injuries in the workplace, 9 out of 10 happen outside of what’s labelled a heatwave, according to Flouris. “It’s the tip of the iceberg if you only talk about the heatwave.” And even if the data were perfect, heat-related deaths don’t register emotionally or medically the way a flood does. Bardhan calls heat an invisible, silent killer: “It doesn’t really leave behind a big mark when we are looking in comparison to other hazards, like wildfire or floods, making the true heat health burden much easier to overlook.” Yet the Eurobarometer survey consistently shows the general public's support for climate action. “There is a very high degree of support for climate change laws and regulations, we see it everywhere,” says environmental economist Shouro Dasgupta. “The science is clear... Climate change induced heatwaves are killing people. Extreme heat is negatively affecting our labour force. Climate change is negatively affecting our economy. At this point, it is the lack of political will.”