Europe summer heat killed 50,000, cut EU GDP by about €17 billion
Why it matters: Researchers linked nearly two-thirds of the deaths to human-caused warming, with Italy, France, Spain and Germany hit hardest.
Extreme heat across Europe this summer caused an estimated 50,000 deaths and shaved about 0.17% off European Union GDP, or roughly €17 billion, according to separate studies. A study led by Imperial College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine estimated 50,391 heat-related deaths in 854 cities across 30 countries, with 32,619 of them tied to human-caused climate change. Bloomberg Economics estimated the output hit from April to September at 2.5 times the average loss over the previous decade. Researchers said repeated heat waves from May through September pushed temperatures far above normal, straining hospitals, transport and cooling systems. Italy, France, Spain and Germany recorded the highest death tolls.