Study: Climate change nearly tripled heat deaths in European cities

Climate change nearly tripled the number of heat-related deaths in major European cities during the extreme heatwave from late June to early July, according to a new study.

Researchers from the United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Switzerland analyzed conditions in 12 major European cities between June 23 and July 2.

They estimate that around 2,300 people died from heat-related causes during the 10-day period, with about two-thirds of the deaths — roughly 1,500 — attributed to climate change.

Temperatures in many cities soared to extreme levels during that time, often exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

Without global warming, which the study says raised daytime temperatures in the cities by an additional 1 to 4 degrees Celsius, around 800 people would have died from the heat, according to the group's calculations.

For the analysis, the team compared the actual temperatures recorded in the cities during the period with modelled values that would have occurred without climate change. It then calculated the expected number of heat-related deaths for both scenarios.

The recent heatwave particularly affected vulnerable groups, such as people with pre-existing conditions and older people. According to the team, 88% of the estimated deaths occurred among people aged 65 and older.