Europe experiences over 16,500 heat-related fatalities during the summer due to global warming
In a rapid and yet-to-be-peer-reviewed study, scientists at Imperial College London and epidemiologists at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have linked heatwave deaths to global warming in several European cities. The research suggests that climate change could have tripled the number of heat-related deaths this summer.
The team used climate modelling to estimate that climate change made temperatures an average of 2.2 degrees Celsius hotter in 854 European cities between June and August. As a result, they estimated there were around 24,400 excess deaths in those cities during that time due to the soaring temperatures.
The European cities with the highest estimated number of heat-related deaths due to climate change in summer 2025 were Rome (835 deaths), Athens (630 deaths), Paris (409 deaths), Madrid (387 deaths), Bucharest (360 deaths), London (315 deaths), and Berlin (140 deaths). Italy and Spain's cities were the most affected overall, with more than 85% of the estimated excess deaths occurring among people aged 65 or over.
Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, a study co-author, emphasized that an increase in heatwave temperature of just 2-4 degrees Celsius can be the difference between life and death for thousands of people. Akshay Deoras, an atmospheric science researcher at the U.K.'s University of Reading, stated that the actual death toll could be even higher.
The estimates from the study reflect previous peer-reviewed research, such as a Nature Medicine study that determined there were more than 47,000 heat-related deaths during the European summer of 2023. However, the researchers were unable to compare their estimates to actual excess deaths recorded in European cities this summer because most countries take a long time to publish that data.
Death tolls during heatwaves are thought to be underestimated due to the causes of death being primarily heart, breathing, or other health problems affecting the elderly during high temperatures. Numerous prominent climate and health researchers backed the study.
This year was Europe's fourth-hottest summer on record. The study did not represent Europe as a whole because some areas - such as the Balkans - were not included. Despite this, the findings highlight the urgent need for action to combat climate change and its potential impact on public health.
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