15,000 European deaths due to heat in 2022

Heat claimed at least 15,000 lives in Europe last summer. That estimate is made by the European section of the World Health Organization (WHO) based on figures that countries have submitted so far.

Germany reported about 4,500 deaths specifically from heat, Spain nearly 4,000, the United Kingdom over 3,200 and Portugal over 1,000. The WHO expects the final figure to be higher if, for example, France also provided statistics.

Jackery Solar generator 500, 518WH Tragbare Powerstation Mit Solarsaga 100W Solarpanel, 230V/500W Mobile Stromversorgung With LCD Anzeige Für UrlaubAdvertisementAmazon DEThe French Institute INSEE reported that more than 11,000 people died between June 1 and August 22 compared to the same period in 2019, the last year before the corona pandemic. INSEE already indicated that these figures can probably be explained by the heat waves in June and July.CopernicusAccording to the EU's climate agency Copernicus, the region experienced its hottest summer and hottest August on record. Heat stress, when the body can no longer cool itself, is the leading cause of death from weather conditions in the European region, according to the WHO. Extreme temperatures can also aggravate chronic conditions.These health effects are just a small taste of what awaits us if temperatures rise by 2 degrees or more from pre-industrial levels, the WHO said. It warns that heat waves and other extreme weather events will lead to more illnesses and deaths in the coming decades unless countries take "really drastic measures" to tackle climate change.EncouragingMore than 20 countries in the region have plans to keep people healthy in such situations, the WHO said. "While this is encouraging, it is far from enough," says the organization, pointing to the "particularly crucial" climate summit currently underway in Egypt. "It cannot be said often enough: we must tackle climate change effectively together."The European region of the World Health Organization consists of 53 countries, including Russia and Turkey in addition to the European Union.