Hundreds of excess deaths across Europe may be linked to the continent’s unprecedented early summer heatwave, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has said.
As scorching temperatures continued to sweep eastward across the continent, several countries shattered national heat records on Sunday, including Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.
In a post on X, Tedros revealed that more than 1,300 excess deaths had been reported across Europe since June 21 and were believed to be associated with the extreme temperatures.
“Heat stress is often called the ‘silent killer’ – and European homes, workplaces and schools were not built for these temperatures,” he said.
France has been among the hardest-hit countries. On Sunday, the country’s health ministry reported approximately 1,000 more deaths than expected since Wednesday, with many of the fatalities involving people aged 65 and above.
Authorities also recorded a 40 per cent increase in the number of people dying in their homes during the period.
“Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average,” Tedros warned.
He added that millions of Europeans were currently “living under extreme heat, hundreds have died, schools are shut, grids are buckling”.
Germany registered its hottest day on record for the third consecutive day on Sunday, according to preliminary weather data.
Temperatures reached 41.7 degrees Celsius in Coschen, eastern Brandenburg, near the Polish border, at about 4pm local time.
The Czech Republic also experienced record-breaking heat, with the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute reporting 41.1 degrees Celsius in Doksany, north of Prague. It marked the country’s second temperature record in as many days.
Meteorologists said temperatures were expected to peak on Sunday before thunderstorms moved into western regions.
Poland likewise set a new national heat record, with temperatures climbing to 40.5 degrees Celsius in the western town of Slubice, according to the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management.
Tedros attributed the exceptional conditions to climate change, noting that Europe was warming at a rate significantly faster than the rest of the world.
“Driven by climate change and global warming, the phenomenon of the ‘once-in-a-generation’ heatwave is now occurring nearly annual,” he said.
He urged governments across the continent to strengthen preparedness measures and “implement heat health action plans” to better protect public health.
The severe conditions have forced authorities in several countries to introduce emergency measures.
In the Netherlands, organisers cancelled the Defqon.1 music festival on Thursday after authorities issued an unprecedented red alert for extreme heat.
Paris officials also imposed restrictions, banning the public consumption of takeaway alcohol and cancelling the city’s Pride march to ease pressure on emergency services.
The alcohol ban took effect at midday on Friday, ahead of France’s World Cup fixture against Norway, and remained in place until Sunday morning.
France’s Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, disclosed that at least 74 people had drowned since the start of the heatwave.
Speaking to Le Parisien on Saturday, he said most of the incidents occurred in “unsupervised bodies of water such as rivers, lakes and ponds”.
Meteorologists have linked the unprecedented June temperatures to a phenomenon known as a “heat dome”.
The weather system forms when air sinks through the atmosphere and becomes compressed, causing it to heat up as it approaches the ground.
The descending air also becomes drier, preventing cloud formation and allowing uninterrupted sunshine to further intensify surface temperatures.
