Europe's June heatwave causes at least 12,000 excess deaths

An unprecedented heatwave in June led to a provisional estimate of more than 12,000 excess deaths across nine European nations, according to national statistics compiled by AFP. EuroMOMO, the European mortality monitoring platform, recorded a total of 14,260 excess deaths for the week of 22‑28 June based on data from 24 countries covering about 400 million people.

The highest national tolls were in Germany (5,780 excess deaths) and Spain (610), with France reporting 2,025, Belgium 1,747, the Netherlands about 600, Switzerland 220, Luxembourg 23, and the United Kingdom (England and Wales) 2,200 excess deaths. Most of the fatalities were among people over 85. WHO Europe’s regional director warned that governments continue to treat heat as a weather event rather than a health emergency, stressing that preventive tools already exist.

Record‑breaking temperatures were logged in several countries, including all‑time June highs in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. Experts said the excess mortality is clearly linked to heat, with no other plausible cause, and highlighted the need for stronger public‑health responses to extreme heat events.