BRUSSELS — Last month’s record-breaking heat wave killed thousands across Western Europe, making it one of the continent’s deadliest climate disasters.
Preliminary official mortality data and researchers’ estimates from the six hardest-hit countries point to at least 14,000 excess deaths during the period of extreme heat, according to POLITICO’s analysis.
The heat wave, which began around June 18 and lasted until July 1, shattered records in several countries. Scientists found that the extraordinary temperatures would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels.
The figures analyzed by POLITICO include around 2,000 excess deaths in France, 1,740 in Belgium, 6,800 in Germany and 480 in the Netherlands, as well as 810 specifically heat-related fatalities in Spain and an estimated 2,200 heat deaths in the United Kingdom.
