Heat in Europe claimed over 50,000 lives this summer, and climate change was responsible for two-thirds of these deadly casualties. These results come from two new studies published in the scientific journal Nature Health, which thoroughly examine the casualties caused by this summer's heatwaves.
Mortality statistics in 850 European cities
This data has been gathered from around 850 cities in Europe and shows that the actual number of casualties, including rural areas, is higher than this figure. Additionally, this summer has been recognized as the deadliest summer of this century, surpassing previous records.
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Claire Barnes, the lead author of this study and a researcher on extreme weather at Imperial College London, said: "We can confidently say that summer 2026 is likely to be the worst summer in terms of heat-related mortality in most parts of Europe." She also added: "These statistics remind us that hotter and more intense summers have more serious impacts on public health."
Analysis of heat casualties in two studies
Researchers from Imperial College and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine examined 854 cities in the European Union, the UK, Norway, and Switzerland, which account for about 40% of the population of 30 countries in the region. The first study looked at weather-related mortality between 2000 and 2025, while the second focused on the year 2026.
By analyzing temperature records and historical models of heat-related mortality, researchers estimated that over 50,000 heat-related deaths were recorded in these cities this summer, with about 32,000 of those attributed to climate change.
These studies show that this summer has been particularly deadly. Between 2000 and 2025, the total heat-related deaths reached 430,000, half of which were linked to climate change. The statistics for 2026 have surpassed previous records of 29,000 deaths in 2022 and 28,000 deaths in 2003.
While the elderly were more at risk, this summer saw about 6,000 people under 65 also lose their lives. Grigory Koutantzis, a co-author of the study and an assistant professor at Imperial College, said: "The burden of mortality fell heavily on older adults. Those aged 85 and above accounted for nearly half of the casualties."
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