European heatwave intensity increased by up to 4 degrees Celsius due to climate change, according to a new study.
A recent study conducted by researchers from Imperial College London, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and several other European institutions has estimated that approximately 1,500 people died during the recent European heatwave as a result of human-induced climate change[1][2]. This figure represents nearly two-thirds of the total heat-related deaths during the heatwave in the 12 cities studied, which were estimated to be around 2,300 individuals[2].
The study found that the heatwaves, which soared well above 40°C (104°F) in many European countries, would have been 2-4°C cooler without human-induced climate change in all but one of the 12 cities studied[1]. This increase in temperature greatly elevated the risk in the cities, which have a combined population of more than 30 million and include major capitals such as Paris, London, and Madrid.
Heatwaves are often referred to as "silent killers" because most heat-related deaths occur in homes and hospitals out of public view and are rarely reported[3]. The added degrees greatly increased the number of heat-related deaths that would have occurred without this warming[1].
The study was co-led by Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and was conducted by over a dozen researchers from five European institutions. Researcher Ben Clarke from Imperial College London stated that the heatwaves brought certain groups of people into more dangerous territory[4]. Heatwaves are particularly dangerous for the elderly, the sick, young children, outdoor workers, and anyone exposed to high temperatures for prolonged periods without relief.
Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, a lecturer at Imperial College London, stated that an increase in heatwave temperature of just two or four degrees can mean the difference between life and death for thousands of people[4]. The study concluded that the heatwave likely caused about 2,300 deaths between June 23 and July 2 across the 12 cities studied[2].
Authorities expect it could take weeks to tally a more definitive death toll from the recent heatwave. Copernicus, the EU's climate monitor, reported that large parts of southern Europe experienced "tropical nights" during the heatwave, with overnight temperatures not falling low enough to let the body recover[5]. The heatwave was also the hottest June on record in western Europe, according to Copernicus[6].
The study's authors hail from research institutions in the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Denmark, and Switzerland. The researchers suggest that the true death toll across Europe could stretch into the tens of thousands, given that the study only analyzed a few cities[1]. The study is a stark reminder of the impact that climate change is having on public health, and the urgent need for action to address it.
[1] [2]
- The study, which underlines the link between climate change and public health, suggests that the true death toll from heatwaves in Europe could stretch into the tens of thousands, considering only a few cities were analyzed.
- The researchers, including those from environmental-science departments, emphasize the significance of mental-health and health-and-wellness considerations amidst the escalating climate-change phenomenon, as heatwaves are adjudged to be "silent killers" that usually claim numerous lives, predominantly from vulnerable groups, without public attention.
