According to a study in Europe, the heat waves in the summer of 2022 led to the deaths of more than 61,000 people. In Germany alone, 8,173 people died as a result of the heat last summer, according to a study published in the journal “Nature Medicine” on Monday. Meanwhile, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported that the first week of July this year was probably the world’s hottest week on record.
The study on heat deaths was carried out by the French state health research institute Inserm and the Spanish institute ISGlobal. From May 30th to September 4th, 2022, there were 61,672 heat deaths in Europe. In particular, women over the age of 80 were among the victims. In the days from July 18 to 24, 2022 alone, 11,637 people across Europe died as a result of the heat.
It is the first time that the number of heat deaths from last summer has been quantified. According to the study, if there are no appropriate protective measures, there will be an average of 68,000 heat deaths every year from 2030 onwards. From 2040 onwards, the number of victims could rise to more than 94,000.
“This is a very high death toll,” said Inserm researcher Hicham Achebak. “While we knew from 2003 the impact of heat waves on mortality, this analysis shows that we still need to do a lot more to protect people,” he said. If appropriate measures were taken, the risk could be significantly reduced.
In 2003, an estimated 70,000 people died in Europe as a result of heat waves. However, it is difficult to compare the figures because they were not collected using the same methods.
Last summer’s heat waves surpassed numerous previous highs and led to wildfires and droughts. According to the study, France recorded the highest increase in average temperature last summer with 2.43 degrees compared to the years 1991 to 2020, followed by Switzerland with 2.3 degrees and Italy with 2.28 degrees.
When it comes to heat deaths, Italy is at the top with around 18,010 deaths, followed by Spain with 11,324 deaths. Europe’s most populous country Germany ranks third with 8173 deaths, followed by France with 4807 heat deaths in summer 2022.
For the study, the institutes evaluated data from more than 800 regions in 35 countries. These included a total of more than 540 million people.
Before the study was published, Switzerland reported on Monday that 2022 would be its hottest year since weather records began in 1864. As a result, the loss of glacier ice in the Alpine country also reached a new high.
Also this year there are new highs in the course of global climate change. “Preliminary data shows the world just had its hottest week on record,” the WMO said. Record temperatures are being measured both on land and in the oceans, with “potentially devastating impacts on ecosystems and the environment.”
Climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and severe. In Germany there are currently well over 30 degrees in many places. In Spain, the Aemet weather service predicted temperatures between 38 and 40 degrees for Tuesday and Monday. In parts of Andalusia and Aragón it is even 42 to 44 degrees.
The Greek weather service EMY also issued a heat warning on Monday: Temperatures of up to 43 degrees can be expected for six days from Wednesday. Sunroofs should therefore be opened at the Acropolis in Athens and water bottles distributed, as the Ministry of Culture announced.
