Nearly 10,000 deaths linked to Europe’s record heatwave

Official data reported by Reuters says Europe recorded more than 10,000 excess deaths during the late-June heatwave that swept across much of the continent. The deaths were tracked using EuroMOMO, a network supported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization.

The week the heat peaked—June 22 to 28—showed the largest surge. EuroMOMO data indicated that over 9,000 of the excess deaths were among people aged 65 and above.

The pattern aligns with what heat can do to health: extreme temperatures can directly cause heat stroke and can also worsen cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, which disproportionately affect older people. Researchers also pointed to the unusual nature of such excess mortality happening at that time of year, and said the spike was difficult to explain by other known large-scale factors.

Scientists and health agencies have linked the heatwave’s severity to human-caused climate change, warning that such events are becoming more frequent and intense across Europe.

The heatwave also triggered wider disruptions, including reports of power problems, school shutdowns, and additional weather-related hazards as record temperatures were broken across countries including France, Spain and parts of the UK.