A recent analysis of national statistics reveals that at least 12,000 excess deaths were recorded across nine European countries during a severe heatwave in June. This mortality toll, which remains provisional and may rise as further data is processed, highlights the human impact of record-breaking heat events that are becoming increasingly frequent across the continent.
An AFP analysis focused on data from June 22 to June 28, covering Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. During this specific window, which represented the peak of the heatwave, approximately 10,000 excess deaths were identified in these nations. Additionally, Britain's Met Office estimated that another 2,200 deaths were linked to the heat in England and Wales between June 18 and June 28.
Broader figures from the European Mortality Monitoring (EuroMOMO) network reported an even higher surge in the final week of June, estimating 14,260 excess deaths. These figures encompass official statistics from 24 countries representing approximately 400 million residents, though the data excludes parts of eastern Europe. According to EuroMOMO, this period saw the highest rate of excess deaths for any June week since the organization began tracking European data in 2020. The only other summer week with a higher rate occurred in July 2022, during the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lasse Vestergaard, an epidemiologist at Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut and a coordinator for EuroMOMO, stated that there are no known causes for this mortality spike other than the heat, describing the trend as dramatic. However, he advised caution, noting that it typically takes four weeks for estimates to be fully consolidated and that initial figures are often revised upward.
Individual country data highlights the varying impact of the heat. Germany recorded 5,780 excess deaths between June 22 and 28 compared to a four-year average, while the Robert Koch Institute noted that more people had died from heat-related causes this summer than in the previous six years combined. In France, 2,025 excess deaths were recorded during the same week compared to the week prior. Belgium’s public health agency, Sciensano, reported 1,747 excess deaths between June 18 and July 1, with 750 occurring in just two days on June 27 and 28. Other nations reported smaller but significant figures: nearly 600 in the Netherlands, 220 in Switzerland, and 23 in Luxembourg. Spain’s MoMo monitor attributed 610 deaths to the heat, with nearly two-thirds of the victims aged 85 or older. Italy also noted a slight rise in deaths among the elderly in 54 major northern cities, while countries like Hungary and Slovakia have yet to release provisional data.
Hans Henri P. Kluge, the WHO regional director for Europe, warned that the summer is not over and criticized the tendency of governments to treat heat as a simple weather event rather than a health emergency. He stated that the tools to prevent such deaths are available and that the current situation illustrates the stakes for future policy decisions. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group further noted that the temperatures recorded during this June heatwave would have been virtually impossible without the influence of climate change.
Different countries have different ways of compiling the relevant figure.
Compared to the two previous weeks, Destatis had recorded 7,100 excess deaths.
