Environment · 2026-10-23 · Afternoon briefing

Europe's summer heatwaves led to 50,000 deaths in cities

An estimated 50,000 people died from heat across 854 European cities this summer, a record total nearly double that of the two next-deadliest years. Researchers attribute two-thirds of the deaths between June and August directly to climate breakdown, finding that pollution-added heat cut short an extra 32,000 lives.

The highest absolute death tolls were in Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the UK, while the highest death rates were recorded in Malta, Italy and Hungary. Naples was the continent's hardest-hit city, with an age-standardised rate of 815 deaths per million people. Although people over 85 accounted for almost half the victims, 833 people between the ages of 20 and 44 also died from the heat.

Europe is warming at approximately twice the global average. The share of heat-related deaths attributed to climate change has risen accordingly, from around 40% at the start of the century to 65% this summer.

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• Summer Heatwaves Linked To 50,000 Deaths In Europe, Study Finds
• Killer summer heatwave was deadliest on record - with 50,000 lives lost in Europe alone
• Europe’s brutally hot summer led to more than 50,000 heat deaths in urban areas alone
• Summer heat’s toll on Europe: 50,000 deaths and a $24.3b GDP hit
• Europe's heat claims 50,000 lives. Climate change blamed for two-thirds of deaths

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