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Rachel V Thomas

Europe Heatwave Causes 10,000 Excess Deaths; England, Wales Record 2,700 More Fatalities

Europe's record-breaking <span>June heatwave</span> led to an estimated 10,000 excess deaths across 27 countries, with older adults accounting for the overwhelming majority of fatalities, according to official data.

Data published by EuroMOMO—a mortality monitoring network supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO)—showed around 10,000 excess deaths during the week of June 22-28, when extreme heat peaked across France, Spain, Britain and several other European countries.

More than 9,000 of these deaths were among people aged 65 years and older.

"To have this kind of excess at this time of year is unusual. It's really high," Lasse Vestergaard, Chief Physician at Denmark's Statens Serum Institut, which hosts EuroMOMO, was quoted as saying to Reuters news agency.

"It is difficult to explain this high excess mortality by anything but the extreme heat," he added.

The figures are based on all-cause mortality, meaning they include deaths from all causes rather than only those officially classified as heat-related.

Scientists have also said the late-June heatwave would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused <span>climate change</span>, which is making extreme heat events more frequent and intense.

<h2>England And Wales Saw 2,700 Heat-Related Deaths</h2>

A separate analysis by researchers from the London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Imperial College London, and the Met Office estimated more than 2,700 excess heat-related deaths during the May and June 2026 <span>heatwaves</span> in England and Wales.

<ul><li>Around 550 heat-related deaths occurred during the May 21-29 heatwave.</li><li>Around 2,200 heat-related deaths occurred during the June 18-28 heatwave.</li></ul>

The study found that around 42% of the total heat-related deaths across both heatwaves were attributable to human-caused climate change.

<h2>Climate Change Intensified The Heat</h2>

According to the report, climate change increased daytime maximum temperatures across England and Wales by 3°C to 4°C.

The analysis estimated that climate change was responsible for:

<ul><li>About 59% of heat-related deaths occurred during the May heatwave.</li><li>Around 38% of heat-related deaths occurred during the June heatwave.</li></ul>

Both heatwaves shattered long-standing temperature records, with 35.1°C recorded in West London in May and 37°C in East Anglia in June.

"We are still in the first half of summer in the UK and large parts of England and Wales have already experienced two record-breaking heatwaves," said Dr Malcolm Mistry, Assistant Professor in Climate and Geo-spatial Modelling at LSHTM.

<h2>June 2026 Among The Hottest On Record</h2>

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), June 2026 was the hottest June ever recorded in western Europe and the second warmest globally.

The record temperatures were driven in part by the highest sea surface temperatures ever recorded for June.

"Heatwaves like this are what we expect to see in a changing climate," said John Kennedy, Head of Climate Information at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

He noted that Europe has warmed by around 2°C over the past 50 years, making it the world's fastest-warming continent and increasing the frequency of extreme heat events.

Extreme heat is often called the "silent killer" because heat-related deaths are frequently underreported. Globally, an estimated 489,000 people died from heat-related causes each year between 2000 and 2019, according to modeled estimates.

<span>Heat stress</span> develops when the body absorbs more heat than it can release. While sweating and increased blood flow to the skin normally help regulate body temperature, these cooling mechanisms become less effective during prolonged periods of intense heat—especially when humidity is high.

According to Lachlan McIver, Health Advisor at the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Office, older adults, infants, pregnant women, outdoor workers, people experiencing homelessness, and those with chronic illnesses are at the greatest risk, although prolonged extreme heat can affect anyone.

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Europe's record-breaking June heatwave led to an estimated 10,000 excess deaths across 27 countries, with older adults accounting for the overwhelming majority of fatalities, according to official data.Data published by EuroMOMO—a mortality monitoring network supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO)—showed around 10,000 excess deaths during the week of June 22-28, when extreme heat peaked across France, Spain, Britain and several other European countries.More than 9,000 of these deaths were among people aged 65 years and older."To have this kind of excess at this time of year is unusual. It's really high," Lasse Vestergaard, Chief Physician at Denmark's Statens Serum Institut, which hosts EuroMOMO, was quoted as saying to Reuters news agency."It is difficult to explain this high excess mortality by anything but the extreme heat," he added.The figures are based on all-cause mortality, meaning they include deaths from all causes rather than only those officially classified as heat-related.Scientists have also said the late-June heatwave would have been "virtually impossible" without human-caused climate change, which is making extreme heat events more frequent and intense.England And Wales Saw 2,700 Heat-Related DeathsA separate analysis by researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Imperial College London, and the Met Office estimated more than 2,700 excess heat-related deaths during the May and June 2026 heatwaves in England and Wales.Researchers estimated:Around 550 heat-related deaths occurred during the May 21-29 heatwave.Around 2,200 heat-related deaths occurred during the June 18-28 heatwave.The study found that around 42% of the total heat-related deaths across both heatwaves were attributable to human-caused climate change.Climate Change Intensified The HeatAccording to the report, climate change increased daytime maximum temperatures across England and Wales by 3°C to 4°C.The analysis estimated that climate change was responsible for:About 59% of heat-related deaths occurred during the May heatwave.Around 38% of heat-related deaths occurred during the June heatwave.Both heatwaves shattered long-standing temperature records, with 35.1°C recorded in West London in May and 37°C in East Anglia in June."We are still in the first half of summer in the UK and large parts of England and Wales have already experienced two record-breaking heatwaves," said Dr Malcolm Mistry, Assistant Professor in Climate and Geo-spatial Modelling at LSHTM.June 2026 Among The Hottest On RecordAccording to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), June 2026 was the hottest June ever recorded in western Europe and the second warmest globally.The record temperatures were driven in part by the highest sea surface temperatures ever recorded for June."Heatwaves like this are what we expect to see in a changing climate," said John Kennedy, Head of Climate Information at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).He noted that Europe has warmed by around 2°C over the past 50 years, making it the world's fastest-warming continent and increasing the frequency of extreme heat events.Why Extreme Heat Can Be DeadlyExtreme heat is often called the "silent killer" because heat-related deaths are frequently underreported. Globally, an estimated 489,000 people died from heat-related causes each year between 2000 and 2019, according to modeled estimates.Heat stress develops when the body absorbs more heat than it can release. While sweating and increased blood flow to the skin normally help regulate body temperature, these cooling mechanisms become less effective during prolonged periods of intense heat—especially when humidity is high.According to Lachlan McIver, Health Advisor at the WHO-WMO Climate and Health Joint Office, older adults, infants, pregnant women, outdoor workers, people experiencing homelessness, and those with chronic illnesses are at the greatest risk, although prolonged extreme heat can affect anyone.

europe heatwave causes 10,000 excess deaths; england, wales record 2,700 more fatalities

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