Europe Saw Over 10,000 Excess Deaths During Late-June Heatwave, Data Shows

A record-breaking heatwave in late June coincided with more than 10,000 excess deaths across Europe, according to official data from a multinational health surveillance network. The vast majority of these deaths occurred among individuals aged 65 and older, highlighting the severe public health impact of extreme weather events.

A Sharp Spike in Mortality

Data published by EuroMOMO, a network supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization, showed 10,650 excess deaths from all causes during the week of June 22 to 28. This period marked the peak of the heatwave in countries including France, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

• Of the total, more than 9,000 excess deaths were recorded in the 65-and-over demographic.
• The spike is particularly notable as the combined mortality across the 27 reporting European countries was, on average, 500 deaths per week *below* typical levels for the preceding eight weeks.

"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, told Reuters. He added that it is "difficult to explain this high excess mortality by anything but the extreme heat."

Context and Attribution

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While the data reflects all-cause mortality, scientists noted the absence of other major factors, such as significant COVID-19 outbreaks, that could account for the surge. Extreme heat poses a direct threat through conditions like heat stroke and can also exacerbate pre-existing cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses, with older populations being the most vulnerable.

Scientists have widely stated that the late-June heatwave would have been "virtually impossible" without the influence of human-caused climate change, which is increasing the frequency and intensity of such events. EuroMOMO noted that its figures could be revised as more complete national data becomes available.

Regional Impact

EuroMOMO does not disaggregate data by country but identified France and Belgium as the only two nations to register "very high excess" mortality during the last week of June. Belgium's public health institute, Sciensano, reported that the country's excess mortality was the highest recorded during any heatwave since its records began in 2000.

A separate study published by Imperial College London, the UK Met Office, and others estimated that 2,700 people died from heat-related causes in England and Wales alone during the May and June heatwaves. The findings attributed 42% of those deaths specifically to the additional heat contributed by global warming.