The summer of 2023 was one of the hottest on record in Europe.
According to recent research by Elisa Gallo and her team at ISGlobal in Barcelona, Spain, heat has killed more than 47,000 people across the continent.
Gallo: “The main countries affected by the heat are southern European countries, especially Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Italy and Greece.”
She said the mass death toll could have been higher if societies and individuals had not taken steps to protect people and adapt to the heat over the past few decades.
For example, the use of home air conditioning has increased, and some countries have implemented heat wave warning systems.
Gallo's research model shows that if the same temperatures had occurred about 20 years ago, the number of deaths would have increased by 80%.
Gallo: “In the past few years, we have tried to better adapt to climate change… but it is not enough. … Temperatures in Europe are rising twice as fast as the global average.
She said that as extreme heat waves become more common in a warming world, more must be done to protect vulnerable groups and address the root causes of the problem by reducing global warming's carbon pollution.
Report source: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media
We help millions of people understand climate change and what to do about it. Help us reach more people like you.
Republish our articles for free online or in print under a Creative Commons license.
