Europe’s severe early-summer heatwave may have caused more than 1,300 excess deaths since June 21, according to the head of the World Health Organization.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the deaths were linked to unusually high temperatures across the continent.
The heatwave continued moving east on Sunday. It also broke national temperature records in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.
Tedros described extreme heat as a “silent killer.” He said many European homes, schools and workplaces were not designed to cope with such high temperatures.
France Reports Around 1,000 Excess Deaths
France’s national health ministry said on Sunday morning that the country had recorded around 1,000 more deaths than expected since Wednesday.
Most of the additional fatalities involved people aged 65 and above.
Authorities also reported a 40% increase in the number of people dying at home.
The figures indicate that older people remain particularly vulnerable during prolonged periods of extreme heat.
However, excess-death figures do not mean that every death was medically confirmed as heatstroke. Instead, they measure how many more people died than would normally be expected during the same period.
Germany Records 41.7°C
Germany experienced its hottest day on record for the third consecutive day.
Preliminary data showed that temperatures reached 41.7°C in the eastern part of the country on Sunday.
A weather station in Coschen, near the Polish border in Brandenburg, recorded the temperature at around 4:00 pm local time.
The reading marked another record during an unprecedented period of heat across central Europe.
Czech Republic and Poland Break Records
The Czech Republic also set another temperature record.
The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute recorded 41.1°C in Doksany, north of Prague.
It was the country’s second record-breaking temperature in two days.
The institute expected the heat to reach its peak on Sunday. However, it also forecast heavy storms in western parts of the country later in the day.
Meanwhile, Poland recorded its highest-ever temperature.
The town of Slubice reached 40.5°C, according to a spokesperson for the country’s Institute of Meteorology and Water Management.
Schools Shut and Power Grids Face Pressure
Tedros said millions of Europeans were currently living under extreme heat conditions.
He added that hundreds of people had died, schools had closed and electricity grids were coming under increasing pressure.
High demand for air conditioning and cooling systems has placed additional strain on energy networks.
At the same time, many buildings remain poorly equipped to protect residents from prolonged heat.
WHO Links Heatwave to Climate Change
Tedros said climate change was driving the extreme weather.
He warned that Europe was now warming at twice the global average, making it the fastest-warming continent on Earth.
According to the WHO chief, heatwaves once considered rare are now becoming almost annual events.
He said global warming had changed the frequency and intensity of extreme heat across Europe.
Tedros urged European governments to introduce and strengthen heat-health action plans.
Such plans can include early-warning systems, cooling centres, changes to school and work schedules, support for elderly residents and improved emergency health services.
The WHO has called on governments to treat rising temperatures as a growing public-health threat rather than a temporary weather problem.
The final death toll from the current heatwave may rise further as health authorities continue to analyse mortality data across Europe.
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