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A recent study covering over 850 large cities has found that human-induced global heating accounted for around two out of every three heat-related fatalities in the continent during the summer months.

Study Results and Approach

Epidemiologists and climate scientists linked 16,500 of the 24,400 heat deaths between June and August to the unusually hot weather brought on by greenhouse gas emissions.

The rapid assessment, which uses well-documented scientific methods, found that climate change made urban heat levels 2.2°C higher typically, greatly increasing the number of deaths due to dangerously hot conditions.

“The direct link between fossil fuel burning to increased temperatures and higher death rates cannot be ignored,” stated one climate scientist. “If we had not persisted in using carbon-based energy in recent years, the majority of these fatalities wouldn’t have happened.”

Effect on At-Risk Populations

The study revealed that older people proved to be the most impacted during the extreme heat, including eighty-five percent of those who died over 65 years old and forty-one percent over 85.

“The vast majority of summer fatalities happen in residences and hospitals, in which individuals suffering from preexisting health conditions are pushed beyond endurance,” noted an epidemiologist. “However, heat is rarely listed in official records.”

Individual Tragedies

Several victims who lost their lives outdoors have been named in local media coverage. One elderly individual in a Spanish town collapsed during walking in the summer, during weather reaching 45 degrees Celsius.

A second incident concerned a 47-year-old parent with four children in Italy’s north, who passed away while laboring on a construction project close to a major city, where the heat rose to 38°C that day.

“He phoned my mother to tell her he would come home for lunch,” stated his son. “That he’d arrive around midday.”

Public Health Risks and Appeals for Measures

Researchers caution that the danger from extreme heat is still underestimated, even growing proof of the lethal impact.

“No one would imagine someone endangering themselves working in torrential rain or hurricane winds,” remarked an expert. “But extreme heat continues to be treated without enough seriousness.”

Although Europe’s cities have become more equipped to handle heatwaves than during 2003, emergency services face challenges managing increasing temperatures and an ageing demographic.

Doctors have called for city-specific response strategies when periods of extreme heat, more parks in urban environments, and improved availability of air-conditioning for vulnerable groups, including older individuals.

“Without taking immediate action, the number of deaths will rise,” stated an adaptation specialist. “It is essential to urgently phase out fossil fuels and introduce measures safeguarding people most at risk from increasingly lethal heatwaves.”