Extreme heat has already claimed more than 1,300 lives across Europe, with around 150 million people still exposed to exceptionally high temperatures. The WHO warns that heatwaves, once considered rare events, are rapidly becoming the new climate normal.
According to the WHO, more than 1,300 heat-related excess deaths have been recorded across Europe since June 21. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described heat stress as a “silent killer,” noting that homes, schools, and workplaces across the continent were not designed to withstand such prolonged periods of extreme heat.
The organization also stressed that Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, with climate change making severe heatwaves an almost annual occurrence. The WHO has urged governments to strengthen public health protection measures and improve the preparedness of healthcare systems for future climate-related emergencies.
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