Over 10,000 deaths across Europe during June heatwave

More than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe during the late-June heatwave, according to official data published by EuroMOMO, a monitoring network backed by the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

The data, covering 27 European countries, showed that over 9,000 of the deaths were among people aged 65 and above. The excess mortality spiked during the week of June 22-28, when the heatwave peaked in France, Spain, Britain and other nations.

Scientists ruled out other major factors such as COVID-19 outbreaks, pointing to extreme heat as the primary cause. "It is difficult to explain this high excess mortality by anything but the extreme heat," said Dr Lasse Vestergaard of Denmark's Statens Serum Institut.

France and Belgium recorded the highest excess mortality, with Belgium witnessing its deadliest heatwave-related toll since 2000.

Researchers said the heatwave would have been "virtually impossible" without human-induced climate change. A separate study estimated that 2,700 heat-related deaths occurred in England and Wales alone during the May and June heatwaves, with 42 per cent attributed to global warming.