WHO: 175,000 Europeans die every year due to extreme heat

The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that extreme heat causes over 175,000 deaths each year in Europe, where temperatures are rising at approximately twice the global average, Dawn online newspaper reported yesterday.

Between 2000 and 2019, Europe accounted for 36% of the 489,000 heat-related deaths globally, averaging 176,040 fatalities annually. WHO’s regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge, emphasized the alarming 30% increase in heat-related mortality over the past two decades, highlighting that temperature extremes worsen chronic conditions such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

The WHO warns that heat stress, when the body cannot regulate its temperature, is the leading cause of climate-related death in the region, with projections indicating that deaths will continue to rise due to global warming. Kluge noted that the three warmest years on record have all occurred since 2020.

In related news, July 2023 was declared the hottest month in China since records began, with an average temperature of 23.21°C, surpassing the previous record of 23.17°C in 2017, as extreme weather events increase globally.