WHO Europe reports 200,000 heat‑related deaths, urges stronger heat‑action plans

The World Health Organization’s Europe office said more than 200,000 people died from heat‑related causes across the continent in the past four years, and most of those deaths were avoidable. Director Hans Kluge warned that extreme heat is no longer a rare weather anomaly but a recurring crisis that strains health systems and infrastructure. WHO Europe called on governments to implement heat‑action measures such as opening cooling centres, allowing flexible work shifts and protecting vulnerable groups, with a stated goal of zero heat‑related deaths.

At the same time, meteorologists confirmed the development of a strong El Niño in the Pacific, which is expected to intensify global heat and increase the likelihood of further extreme‑temperature events.

The agency highlighted that Italy, Spain and Greece have seen particularly high premature mortality, and urged all European nations to adopt the new WHO guidelines released in Berlin.