Climate change tripled heat-related deaths in early summer across Europe, says new study
The severe heat wave sweeping across Europe since last week is estimated to have caused around 2,300 deaths, according to a study released on Wednesday.
Approximately 1,500 (65%) of the estimated 2,300 heat-related deaths are linked to climate change, which brought about a more severe heat wave across the continent, according to the study done by scientists at Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The study said climate change tripled heat-related deaths in early summer across Europe.
Researchers focused on 10 days of heat from June 23 to July 2 and covered 12 European cities, including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Budapest, Zagreb (Croatia), Athens, Rome, Milan, Sassari (Italy), Barcelona, Madrid, and Lisbon.
"The findings of this analysis and many others are extremely clear: heat extremes all across Europe are increasing rapidly due to human-induced climate change," the study noted.
It further underscored that these cities experienced up to a 4C rise in temperatures.
The study warned that heat wave temperatures will continue to increase, likely raising death tolls.
The EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service also said on Wednesday in a monthly climate bulletin that June 2025 was the third-warmest June globally.
"June 2025 saw an exceptional heat wave impact large parts of western Europe, with much of the region experiencing very strong heat stress. This heat wave was made more intense by record sea surface temperatures in the western Mediterranean," said Samantha Burgess, strategic lead for climate at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.
Burgess warned that the heat waves are likely to become "more frequent, more intense," and impact more people across Europe.
