New data shows extreme heat claimed 10,000 lives across Europe in late June

New data from Europe’s mortality monitoring center shows at least 10,000 people died as a result of extreme heat that affected the continent in the second half of June.

Older people had the highest mortality rate, with more than 9,000 deaths recorded in the above-65 age group, according to data published by ‌EuroMOMO, a network backed by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization.

Extreme heat can kill by causing heat stroke, or aggravating cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, with older people among the most ​vulnerable.

France and Belgium recorded extremely high excess mortality rates. Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland reported moderate levels. The United Kingdom, Germany and Italy reported low levels of excess mortality.

Health authorities in Europe have issued warnings to vulnerable age groups to avoid the heat.

They have been advised to drink at least two liters of water a day and to avoid coffee and alcohol, which are dehydrating.

Europe faced extremely hot weather in the second half of June with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in Western European countries.

EU earth-monitoring programme Copernicus confirmed on July 9 that this June was the hottest recorded in western Europe.

“June 2026 underscored how profoundly the climate is changing”, said Copernicus’ strategic lead for climate Samantha Burgess.

The records broken in Europe last month “reflect a climate system continuing to accumulate heat. The result is increasingly intense heatwaves, a persistently warm ocean, and growing risks for people, ecosystems and infrastructure,” Burgess said.

Experts say the extreme heat is the result of climate change, and it isn’t limited to Europe. It is a global phenomenon.

Richard Betts, a climate scientist at the University of Exeter, said the high temperatures are in line with what climate models predicted long ago.

Heat wave claims over 1,000 lives in France

France is facing an unprecedented heat wave with extreme temperatures claiming lives across the country.

“We should not be at all surprised with the high global temperatures,” Betts told British media. “This is all a stark reminder of what we’ve known for a long time, and we will see ever more extremes until we stop building up more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.”

Record high temperatures have also been reported in India, China, and Canada, as well as the United States.

Scientists have said the late-June heatwave would have been “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change, which is making heatwaves more frequent and intense.

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