In 2022 at least 15,000 people died in Europe due to record heat. The data were released by the World Health Organization (WHO), which pointed out that the countries most affected were Spain and Germany.
According to the WHO, the three summer months from June to August were the hottest in Europe since climate data has been monitored. The exceptional temperatures led to the worst drought the continent has experienced since the Middle Ages.
“Based on the national data presented so far, at least 15,000 people are estimated to have died specifically due to heat in 2022,” said WHO’s director for Europe, Hans Kluge.
“Nearly 4,000 deaths in Spain, more than 1,000 in Portugal, more than 3,200 in the United Kingdom, and about 4,500 deaths in Germany were reported by health authorities during the 3 months of the summer,” he added, warning that these estimates are likely to increase as national data on “excess heat-related deaths” arrive.
