Over 47,000 People Died In Europe In 2023 Due To Heat: Report

A new study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) revealed that extreme heat killed more than 47,000 people across Europe in 2023. It is also worth mentioning that 2023 was the world's hottest on record. The study, published by Nature Medicine on Monday, analysed mortality data from 823 regions in 35 European countries and temperature records to arrive at the estimate.

The study found that more women died of heat-related illnesses than men, reported Independent. More than 40% of southern Europe was reportedly affected by extreme heat in July. Greece witnessed the highest mortality rate at 393 deaths per million. Bulgaria, Italy, and Spain were the other countries with the highest mortality rates related to heat. According to the Independent, this was the second-highest heat-related death toll in Europe after 2022, when heatwaves led to over 60,000 deaths.

Meanwhile, the authors of the study also pointed out that the actual number of heat-related deaths in 2023 could be higher than reported. The elderly were also at extreme risk when it comes to heat-related deaths, with those over 80 experiencing a 768% higher death rate compared to those aged 65-79. ISGlobal also mentioned in its report that heat related mortality would have been 80% higher in absence of the adaptation observed during the present century.