Official data from the EuroMOMO network reveals that European countries recorded more than 10,650 excess deaths during a late-June heat wave. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization-backed network, over 9,000 of these fatalities occurred among individuals aged 65 and older. Scientists attribute this mortality spike to extreme temperatures, noting that such heat-related impacts are becoming more frequent and intense due to human-caused climate change.
Excess Mortality Trends in Western Europe
The surge in deaths during the week of June 22 to 28 marked a sharp reversal in mortality trends. For the eight weeks leading up to the heat wave, the same 27 European countries tracked by EuroMOMO reported an average of 500 deaths per week below typical levels. However, the June heat wave pushed mortality figures significantly higher.
Lasse Vestergaard, chief physician at Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut, which hosts EuroMOMO, stated that the excess mortality is difficult to explain by anything other than the extreme heat. While EuroMOMO does not publish country-specific death tolls, it identified France and Belgium as the only nations to register “very high excess” mortality during that period. For Belgium, the country’s public health institute, Sciensano, confirmed these figures represented the highest excess mortality recorded during a heat wave since 2000.
Did you know?
The June heat wave caused significant infrastructure stress across the continent, including the disruption of power supplies and the closure of schools in France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
The Role of Climate Change in Heat-Related Fatalities
Scientific consensus links the increased frequency of these events to global warming. A study published by Imperial College London, the U.K. Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine estimated that 2,700 people died from heat-related causes in England and Wales during the May and June heat waves. The findings indicate that 42 percent of those deaths were directly attributable to the extra heat contributed by global warming.
Older populations remain the most vulnerable to these shifts. Extreme heat contributes to mortality by triggering heat stroke or aggravating pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Researchers emphasize that the scale of mortality observed in late June would have been “virtually impossible” without the influence of human-caused climate change.
Pro Tip: Protecting Vulnerable Populations
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is EuroMOMO?
EuroMOMO is a European mortality monitoring activity supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization. It tracks excess deaths to provide public health insights. - Why are excess deaths considered a measure of heat wave impact?
Excess mortality accounts for deaths above the expected baseline. During heat waves, these figures capture both direct heat stroke deaths and indirect deaths caused by the strain extreme temperatures place on the body, particularly in those with pre-existing heart or lung conditions. - Were other factors responsible for the June spike?
Scientists have ruled out other major contributors, such as COVID-19 outbreaks, noting that the timing and magnitude of the spike correlate specifically with the peak of the heat wave across France, Spain, and the U.K.
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