Climate change made European heatwave up to 4C hotter study
A rapid study conducted by over a dozen researchers from five European institutions concluded that the heatwaves likely resulted in far more heat-related deaths than would have occurred without global warming. The heatwave, which occurred between late June and early July, saw temperatures soaring well above 40°C (104°F) in several countries, breaking records and triggering health warnings.
Historical comparisons
To assess the impact of climate change, scientists compared the intensity of the heatwave to a world unaffected by fossil fuel emissions. They found that the heatwave "would have been 2-4°C cooler" in all but one of the 12 cities studied, which collectively house over 30 million people, including major capitals like Paris, London, and Madrid.
Increased risks
Researcher Ben Clarke from Imperial College London highlighted that the added heat brings certain populations into more dangerous conditions. While some may find the temperatures comfortable, many others face significant health risks.
Estimated death toll
For the first time, the study aimed to estimate the death toll from this heatwave. Based on established research methods, it concluded that approximately 2,300 deaths occurred between June 23 and July 2 across the 12 cities. Alarmingly, about 1,500 of these deaths—roughly two-thirds—would not have happened without climate change.
Vulnerable populations
Heatwaves pose particular dangers to the elderly, sick individuals, young children, outdoor workers, and anyone exposed to high temperatures for extended periods. Urban areas exacerbate these risks, as paved surfaces and buildings absorb heat, making cities significantly hotter.
The silent killer
During the heatwave, large parts of southern Europe experienced "tropical nights," where overnight temperatures remained too high for adequate recovery. Garyfallos Konstantinoudis from Imperial College London noted that even a 2-4°C increase in heatwave temperatures can significantly impact survival rates.
Authorities warn that it could take weeks to finalize the death toll from this recent heatwave, though similar events in the past have claimed tens of thousands of lives in Europe.
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The National
2 days ago
- The National
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The study, led by scientists at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, focused on 10 days of heat from June 23 to July 2. It calculated that 1,500 of the 2,300 estimated heat deaths were the result of climate change – equating to a tripling of the number of deaths in the heatwave due to global warming. How much heat can your body endure? 2024 was officially the hottest year on record, following what United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called a decade of deadly heat. In cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where summer highs routinely exceed 45°C, the body's natural defences are pushed to the brink. 'Humans are most comfortable and expend the least energy at temperatures between 18°C and 24°C,' said Dr Aseel Takshe, acting dean at the Canadian University Dubai's School of Health Sciences and Psychology. 'The body's ability to cool itself becomes compromised at high temperatures, particularly above 40°C. 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Al Etihad
5 days ago
- Al Etihad
Climate change made European heatwave up to 4C hotter: study
9 July 2025 17:45 PARIS (AFP)Human-caused climate change made the recent European heatwave up to 4C hotter in many cities, scientists said on Wednesday, pushing temperatures into deadly territory for thousands of vulnerable likely led to far more heat-related deaths than would have occurred without the influence of global warming, concluded a rapid study by over a dozen researchers from five European analysis looked at 12 cities in Europe between June 23 and July 2 as an early summer heatwave drove temperatures well above 40C in some parts, triggering health EU's climate monitor Copernicus on Wednesday said it was the hottest June on record in western Europe, where some schools and tourist sites were shuttered as the mercury assess what role climate change played, scientists compared how intense a similar heatwave would have been in a world that had not warmed due to burning masses of fossil historical weather data, they concluded the heatwave 'would have been 2-4C cooler' without human-induced climate change in all but one of the 12 cities extra heat greatly elevated the health risk in these cities, which have a combined population of more than 30 million and include major capitals Paris, London, Rome and Madrid.'What that does is it brings certain groups of people into more dangerous territory,' said lead author Ben Clarke from Imperial College London, who led the study with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine."For some people it's still warm, fine weather. But for now a huge sector of the population, it's more dangerous," he told the first time, scientists also sought to estimate the number of heat deaths using established attribution methods and epidemiological study, which has not been peer reviewed, estimated that about 2,300 died in the extreme conditions across the 12 cities during the 10 days in about 1,500, or roughly two thirds, of these deaths would not have occurred had climate change not pushed temperatures to such dangerous highs, researchers authors -- from research institutions in the UK, Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland -- stressed this estimate was just a snapshot of the wider heatwave, as no official count was yet are particularly dangerous for the elderly, the sick, young children, outdoor workers, and anyone exposed to high temperatures for prolonged periods without effect on health is compounded in cities, where heat is absorbed by paved surfaces and buildings, making urban areas much hotter than their surroundings. Authorities say it could take weeks to tally a more definitive death toll from the recent heatwave, but similar episodes have claimed tens of thousands of lives in Europe during previous summers.
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Khaleej Times
Climate change made European heatwave up to 4C hotter: Study
Human-caused climate change made recent European heatwaves up to 4C hotter in many cities, scientists said on Wednesday, pushing temperatures into deadly territory for thousands of vulnerable people. This likely led to far more heat-related deaths than would have occurred without the influence of global warming, concluded a rapid study of the episode by over a dozen researchers from five European institutions. Temperatures between late June and early July soared well above 40 degrees Celsius (104F) in many European countries as the first heatwave of the summer broke records and triggered health warnings. The EU's climate monitor Copernicus on Wednesday said it was the hottest June on record in western Europe, where some schools and tourist sites were shuttered as the mercury soared. To assess what role climate change played, scientists compared how intense a heatwave would have been in a world that had not warmed due to burning masses of fossil fuels. Using historical weather data, they concluded the heatwave "would have been 2-4C cooler" without human-induced climate change in all but one of the 12 cities studied. The added degrees greatly elevated the risk in these cities, which have a combined population of more than 30 million and include major capitals Paris, London and Madrid. "What that does is it brings certain groups of people into more dangerous territory," said researcher Ben Clarke from Imperial College London, which co-led the study with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. "For some people it's still warm, fine weather. But for now a huge sector of the population, it's more dangerous," he told reporters. - Life and death - The study, for the first time, also sought to estimate the death toll from the heatwave in the 12 cities studied, and how many could be attributed to climate change. Based on peer-reviewed scientific methods and established research on heat and mortality, the study concluded the heatwave likely caused about 2,300 deaths between June 23 and July 2 across the 12 cities studied. But about 1,500, or roughly two thirds, of all these deaths would not have occurred had climate change not pushed temperatures to such dangerous highs, researchers said. The authors -- from research institutions in the UK, Netherlands, Denmark and Switzerland -- stressed this estimate was just a snapshot of the wider heatwave, as no official count was yet available. Heatwaves are particularly dangerous for the elderly, the sick, young children, outdoor workers, and anyone exposed to high temperatures for prolonged periods without relief. The effect on health is compounded in cities, where heat is absorbed by paved surfaces and buildings, making urban areas much hotter than their surroundings. Copernicus said large parts of southern Europe experienced so-called "tropical nights" during the heatwave, when overnight temperatures don't fall low enough to let the body recover. "An increase in heatwave temperature of just two or four degrees can mean the difference between life and death for thousands of people," said Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, a lecturer at Imperial College London. "This is why heatwaves are known as silent killers. Most heat-related deaths occur in homes and hospitals out of public view and are rarely reported," he told reporters. Authorities say it could take weeks to tally a more definitive death toll from the recent heatwave, but similar episodes have claimed tens of thousands of lives in Europe during previous summers.
