Key facts
- Europe is facing an intense heatwave with record-breaking temperatures.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has linked the heatwave to over 1,300 excess deaths.
- France reported approximately 1,000 more deaths than expected since Wednesday.
- Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic have all recorded new temperature highs.
- WHO warns that Europe is warming at twice the global average due to climate change.
- WHO is urging European countries to implement heat-health action plans.
Europe is bracing for potentially more deadly weeks as an intense heatwave builds, prompting warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO). The continent has already experienced record-breaking temperatures and hundreds of excess deaths linked to the extreme heat.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that over 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded since June 21, attributing the phenomenon to climate change and global warming, which are causing Europe to heat up at twice the global average. France's health ministry reported approximately 1,000 more deaths than expected since Wednesday, with many fatalities among the elderly. The WHO emphasized that European homes, workplaces, and schools are not built for such extreme temperatures.
Several countries have seen their highest temperatures on record. Germany experienced its hottest day for three consecutive days, reaching 41.7C, while Poland recorded 40.5C and the Czech Republic hit 41.1C. These extreme conditions have led authorities to implement precautionary measures, including cancelling public events and closing schools. In France, at least 74 people have drowned since the heatwave began, with many incidents occurring in unsupervised bodies of water.
WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge highlighted the critical need for heat-health action plans, noting that less than half of European member states had such plans in place during the recent severe heatwave. Forecasters in the UK have also issued extreme heat warnings, anticipating temperatures that would break June records.