Thousands died in Europe's summer heatwaves

Heat stress, when the body cannot cool, is leading cause of weather-related death in Europe

In August, a wildfire burned across north-east Spain, forcing the evacuation of villages in Zaragoza province. AP

Hot weather across Europe killed more than 15,000 people, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday.

The highest number died in Germany, while Spain, the UK, and Portugal reported more than 1,000 deaths each.

Europe, where air conditioning in homes is not common, endured rather than enjoyed its hottest summer yet, with traditionally cooler nations to the north experiencing national records.

The figures were released as the Cop27 environmental summit began work in Cairo, Egypt.

“Based on country data submitted so far, it is estimated that at least 15,000 people died specifically due to the heat in 2022,” WHO’s Europe regional director Hans Kluge said.

“Nearly 4,000 deaths in Spain, more than 1,000 in Portugal, more than 3,200 in the United Kingdom, and about 4,500 deaths in Germany were reported by health authorities during the three months of summer.

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  Dried mud and old trees at Colliford Lake in Cornwall, England, where water levels have severely dropped exposing the unseen trees and rocks in Cornwall's largest lake and reservoir. PA

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  A large section of exposed River Rhine riverbed, due to low water levels caused by drought, in Duesseldorf, Germany. Bloomberg

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  A boat on a bank of the receding Danube river, after a lengthy drought near the village of Cortanovci, Serbia. AP

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  People take a stroll on the river bed of the Waal as water levels dropped because of drought in Nijmegen, Netherlands. AP

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  People take photos on the southern tip of Margaret Island, which can be seen due to low water level of the River Danube, in Budapest, Hungary. AP

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  The dried-up river Tille in Lux, France. AP

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  A bridge, which is usually submerged, over the dried bed of Llwyn-on Reservoir, during a heatwave in Wales. Reuters

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  The Rhine river with low water levels in Cologne, Germany. AP

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  The Yesa reservoir and the Aragon River are practically without water in Yesa, Navarra, Spain. EPA

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  Low water levels at Baitings Reservoir in Ripponden, West Yorkshire, England. Reuters

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  Low water levels at the Odra river near Czelin village, north-western Poland. EPA

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  Boats on the dried bed of the drought-affected Doubs river on the border with France in Les Brenets, Switzerland. Reuters

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  A person sits by a reservoir with low water levels and dried grass at Walthamstow Wetlands in London, England. EPA

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  The dried-up River Po that has been affected by the worst drought in 70 years, near Borgo Virgilio, Italy. Reuters

“This estimate is expected to increase as more countries report on excess deaths due to heat.”

The three months June to August period was the hottest in Europe since records began.

Exceptionally high temperatures led to the worst drought the continent has experienced since the Middle Ages.

Crops withered as the dry spell drove record wildfire intensity and placed severe pressure on the continent's power grid.

Successive heatwaves between June and July, when temperatures topped 40ºC in Britain for the first time, saw some 24,000 excess deaths in Europe.

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  A woman shelters from the sun on Tower Bridge, in London. AP

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  A crowd of people watch the setting sun from a hill in Ealing, west London. AP

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  People enjoy the water fountains in King's Cross, London. EPA

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  The low water level at Pontsticill Reservoir near Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. Getty Images

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  Dry grass on the football pitches at Hackney Marshes in east London. PA

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  Aung-Bo, a 21-year-old Asian elephant, is cooled down by a keeper at Chester Zoo. Getty Images

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  People walk on parched grass of The Long Walk towards Windsor Castle. Reuters

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  A sunbather enjoys the warm weather in London. EPA

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  Tourists shelter from the sun as they stand outside Buckingham Palace in London. AP

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  People enjoy the hot weather as they zorb on the canal at Paddington Basin in London. PA

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  Horses from Hyde Park stables are surrounded by clouds of dust as they are ridden along a dry bridleway in the London park. Getty Images

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  The sun rises above the London skyline on Thursday morning. Reuters

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  London Fire Brigade dealing with the aftermath of a grass fire in Rainham, east London. PA

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  A water basin is cut off at Colliford Lake, where water levels have dropped to expose previously unseen trees at Cornwall's largest reservoir. AP

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  Men cool off by diving into the water at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside. AP

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  Scorched grass at Greenwich Park in London. AP

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  A dog cools off in a pond at Richmond Park in London. AP

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  Large areas of grass have turned yellow due to the dry conditions in Edinburgh. AP

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  A young man takes a dip in the Peover Eye, a small river that meanders through the Cheshire countryside. Getty Images

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  Dry fairways at Chelsfield Lakes club in Orpington have made for bouncy, unpredictable golfing conditions. Getty Images

Heat stress, when the body cannot cool, is the leading cause of weather-related death in the WHO’s European region.

Mr Kluge added that there was an escalation of heatwaves, droughts and wildfires, all of which have affected people's health.

Tens of thousands of western Europeans were forced to leave their homes and flee wildfires.

Much of Europe simply is not heatproof, with old and new buildings designed with more moderate temperatures in mind and infrastructure is not properly equipped to cope with the heat.

Rivers dried up in a continent-wide heatwave when south-east England endured its longest dry spell in nearly 50 years.

Water levels on the Rhine, which serves as a major shipping lane and is vital to the German economy, plummeted to the point that trade on some sections is at risk of being halted.

Parts of the River Po, Italy’s longest water way, dried out, leaving the riverbed exposed.

The River Doubs on the Swiss-French border dried up in a record drought, causing its famed waterfall to run at a trickle.