Over 61,000 excess deaths quantified in Europe due to heat in record summer 2022

Last year’s summer (2022) was the hottest season on record in Europe, leading to more than 61,000 excess heat-related deaths among the European population (with upper and lower estimated ranging between about 37,600 and 86,800 deaths), according to a recent study published in Nature Medicine.

Countries in Southern Europe, including Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal, suffered most, with heat-related mortality rates ranging between 295 and 211 deaths per million people. Only a small share of heat-related deaths result from heatstroke. More often, heat kills when the human body cannot cope anymore with pre-existing health problems like heart and lung diseases.

The excess mortality remains high relative to the more than 70,000 heat-related deaths in Europe during the summer of 2003, after which adaptation strategies were designed and implemented to protect at-risk populations. This urges for reevaluation and strengthening of existing heat surveillance platforms, prevention plans and long-term adaptation strategies, as well as for protection of vulnerable people.