Europe heatwave killed 16,000 in one week, data shows

Europe recorded about 16,000 excess deaths during a week of extreme heat in late June, according to the European Mortality Monitoring Network (EuroMOMO). Most of the excess deaths occurred in northern Europe, particularly France, Belgium and Germany, where populations are less adapted to prolonged extreme heat, the New York Times reported, citing EuroMOMO data.

Temperatures exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit across large parts of Spain and Italy in late June. However, northwestern Europe recorded the sharpest death spike, even though temperatures there were far above the seasonal norm. The Times of India notes that the scale of the June mortality spike surpassed any single week of the previous winter.

Brussels recorded its hottest day on record on August 14 at 35.9°C, according to Belgium's IRM weather agency. A previous major heatwave in 2022 was also associated with just over 16,000 excess deaths in one week in Europe, but then the worst heat was concentrated in southern Europe, the report said.