Lethal heat is Europe’s new climate reality

Europe must act quickly to face extreme heat as temperatures surpass 40 degrees and thousands of excess deaths are predicted in the coming days.

Southern Europe is in the midst of a soaring heatwave with temperatures reaching up to 46 degrees Celsius in Spain’s Huelva region — a new national record for June. Meanwhile, Italy, Greece, Portugal and the Western Balkans are also facing scorching highs, along with wildfires and civilian victims.

A World Health Organization expert issued a stark warning on Monday, calling for more action to stop tens of thousands of “unnecessary and largely preventable deaths.”

“It’s no longer a question of if we will have a heatwave, but how many are we going to experience this year and how long will they last,” said Marisol Yglesias Gonzalez, technical officer for climate change and health at the WHO in Bonn.

As for how many people could be at risk, Pierre Masselot, a statistician at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told POLITICO this heatwave could cause more than 4,500 excess deaths between June 30 and July 3. The countries likely to experience the highest excess death rates are Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and Luxembourg, he said. “The worst days will likely be [Tuesday] and Wednesday.”

Heat claims more than 175,000 lives across the WHO’s Europe region — spanning from Iceland to Russia — each year. A major study co-authored by Masselot and published in January, which covered 854 European cities, warned that deaths from heat would rise sharply if significant climate adaptation is not prioritized.

The WHO on Monday echoed that climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, means heatwaves will become more frequent, dangerous and intense, leading to more serious illness and death.

Almost two-thirds of Spanish towns have been slapped with health risk warnings, including 804 at the highest alert level, according to data from the Aemet national weather agency. A spokesperson stated that intense heat is expected across the country until July 3. Meanwhile, heat alerts are also in place in France, Italy, Portugal and Greece.

The Greek government has also issued warnings about air pollution from wildfires that have ripped through coastal towns near Athens. Meanwhile, more than 50,000 people have been evacuated in Turkey, primarily due to a fire near Izmir.

In Albania, 26 wildfires were reported between Sunday and Monday, while in Serbia, meteorologists reported that last Thursday was the hottest day since records began in the 19th century.

The WHO has advised staying hydrated, avoiding the midday heat and keeping homes cool, particularly for vulnerable groups, including older adults, children, outdoor workers, pregnant women and individuals with chronic health conditions. Those on medications like antidepressants or blood pressure drugs should also take care, Yglesias Gonzalez said, as these can affect the ability to regulate body temperature.

However, it’s not just about managing heatwaves when they strike, but also about being more prepared, the WHO said. In a 2022 survey, only 21 of the 57 countries in the WHO Europe region reported having a national heat-health action plan. Of those, 14 were in the EU.

Of the WHO’s core recommendations, the most commonly implemented are timely alert systems and communication campaigns. But countries are lagging in preparing their health systems and preventing heat exposure through better urban planning, Yglesias Gonzalez said.

The WHO will issue new updated guidance for governments next year, including advice on “people-centered cooling” strategies at the urban and regional level to protect people from heat, she added.