More than 47,000 people in Europe died due to extreme heat in 2023, with southern countries experiencing the greatest impact, according to a report released by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) on Monday.
The report highlights that 2023 was the hottest year on record globally. As climate change drives rising temperatures, Europe, the fastest-warming continent, is facing increasing health risks from intense heat.
Although the death toll in 2023 was lower than the more than 60,000 heat-related fatalities estimated for the previous year, the report notes that the number would have been 80% higher without the adaptation measures implemented over the past two decades. These measures include early warning systems and improvements in healthcare, which have played a crucial role in mitigating the impact of extreme heat.
