Record heatwave drives over 10,000 excess deaths across Europe

AKIPRESS.COM – A record-breaking late-June heatwave across Western Europe resulted in more than 10,000 excess deaths, with individuals aged 65 and older accounting for over 9,000 of the fatalities, according to data from the EuroMOMO monitoring network.

Health officials and climate scientists stated that the unprecedented spike in mortality—which peaked during the week of June 22–28—was directly driven by the extreme temperatures, as there were no other contributing factors like major illness outbreaks.

While EuroMOMO does not disclose country-specific tallies, it noted that France and Belgium experienced exceptionally high spikes, with Belgium recording its highest heatwave-related excess mortality since 2000.

A separate UK study estimated that 2,700 heat-related deaths occurred across England and Wales during May and June, attributing 42% of those fatalities to the compounding effects of global warming.