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Europe heatwave kills over 1,300 people and shatters temperature records
The World Health Organization said more than 1,300 excess deaths have been recorded across Europe since 21 June as a record‑breaking heatwave sweeps the continent. France alone reported about 1,000 additional deaths, mostly among people over 65. Hundreds of millions are enduring temperatures above 35 °C, with all‑time highs above 40 °C set in Germany (41.7 °C), Poland (40.5 °C), the Czech Republic (41.9 °C), Hungary (40.7 °C) and other countries.
Health systems are under pressure – schools are closed, power grids are buckling and hospitals are coping with surge admissions. WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the event a “silent killer” and warned that Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average, making such extreme heat “once‑in‑a‑generation” events nearly annual. He urged European states to implement heat‑health action plans and strengthen preparedness.
Meteorologists expect the heatwave to linger into early July, with a possible second surge. In Italy, the heat has also caused the Gardasee to lose billions of litres of water per day, highlighting the broader environmental strain. The episode underscores the growing health and infrastructure impacts of climate‑driven extreme heat across the continent.